Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 3 · Question 13

Question prompt

Using rational argument in Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: E

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Flawed Parallel Reasoning Questions

Stimulus Summary

Rationality doesn’t sell, so switching to appeals to emotion will sell.

Answer Anticipation

Usually, when we’re talking about negations, we’re dealing with conditional logic. However, anytime an argument deals with concepts and their negations, we should check to see if it’s doing so legally.
Here, the stimulus establishes that rational arguments don’t sell. From this, it concludes that nonrational appeals to emotion will sell. But there’s no indication that such appeals will have that effect!
It could be that irrational arguments sell, or endorsements sell, or a mix of rational arguments with appeals to emotion sell. In jumping from one pole of an argument to its polar opposite, this argument is illegally negating key terms. Let’s find an answer that does the same.

Answer choices

  1. A
    People who ask others Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This answer is a bit more conditional than the stimulus. It also doesn’t go through an illegal negation - instead, it concludes the contrapositive of the premise - a valid argument. (Ask for favor → Refused; ~Refused → ~Ask for favor)

  2. B
    In the past, people Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This argument assumes that what was true in the past will be true in the future - a Shift in Time Period flaw.

  3. C
    Using a computer has Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This argument reaches a conclusion about what “should” not be done, which involves a specific logic that isn’t present in the stimulus (where no such recommendation is made).

  4. D
    A person who does Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    So close! However, this argument doesn’t jump to the polar opposite - it creates a spectrum, where the better letters lead to better jobs.

  5. E
    People never learn to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E matches the stem
    This argument goes through the same negated logic as the stimulus. Here, poorly written directions don’t lead to learning. From this, the argument concludes that well-written directions (which aren’t poorly written) do lead to learning. Since this argument has the same negated logic as the stimulus, it’s the correct answer.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 8%
  2. B 4%
  3. C 6%
  4. D 9%
  5. E Credited 73%

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Discussion

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