Logical reasoning PrepTest 106 · Section 3 · Question 9

Question prompt

Market research traditionally entails Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

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

Strengthen Questions

Stimulus Summary

Market research - Asking people about what they buy
Observational research - Watching people buy stuff
Conclusion - Observational research is better at understanding consumer behavior

Answer Anticipation

This argument compares two ways of looking at consumer behavior by describing them, and it then concludes that one is better than the other.
When such a comparative judgment is made, the argument needs to establish the criteria by which that judgment can be made, and then show that the “better” option meets it. Here, the criteria is established - the “better” option will yield information about consumer behavior that the other doesn’t.
However, it fails to establish that observational research does that! We know that market research asks people about what and why they buy items, while observational research watches them buy and interact with products. There’s no indication that the latter provides more information about consumer behavior (and, in fact, the market research asks about why people do what they do, which might be harder to determine just by watching them).
Since this argument fails to establish that the “better” option actually meets the criteria for being better, we should look for an answer that provides evidence it does. Let’s find anything that shows information provided by observational research that isn’t provided by market research.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Even consumers who are Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    The first half of this answer establishes that market research can’t provide specific information for some consumers since they’re unable to explain their preference - in other words, they couldn’t answer a market research question. Watching their behavior - picking up and putting down products - in an observational study, this answer states, would provide some of that information. Since this answer brings up information that an observational study would provide that market research wouldn’t, it strengthens the conclusion that the former provides such information that the latter doesn’t.
  2. B
    Market researchers find that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer doesn’t highlight any information that observational studies would provide, let alone that this information isn’t available through market research.
  3. C
    Consumers are becoming increasingly Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This answer doesn’t speak to what would be gleaned from market research or observational research, so it doesn’t affect the argument.
  4. D
    Market researchers say they Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    First, this answer is out of scope because which research method is enjoyable for the researchers doesn’t determine which provides more information. Second, even if we ignore that, this answer suggests that the researchers might be drawing false conclusions as they get creative in interpreting the data, calling the benefit of observational research into question!
  5. E
    Consumers are more likely Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Oral surveys and written questionnaires would both be considered market research, not observational research, so this answer doesn’t support an argument that compares the two.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 93%
  2. B 3%
  3. C 1%
  4. D 1%
  5. E 1%

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