Logical reasoning PrepTest 111 · Section 1 · Question 15

Incorrect. This answer can be tempting because we know attacking the source of a claim instead of the claim itself can be a flaw. However, that flaw requires bringing up irrelevant considerations to dismiss the opposing point. Here, the magazine's credibility speaks to whether they're accurately reporting survey results, and the argument doesn't dismiss their conclusion—it just states that there's reason to be skeptical. As such, this answer does provide a reason to be skeptical, and so it strengthens the argument.

Incorrect. If magazine surveys tend to be bad, then there's reason to be skeptical of any of them—including this one.

Incorrect. If there are surveys that came to a different conclusion from the one in the magazine, then there's reason to be skeptical of those results!

Incorrect. The Statistician pointed out that the survey question was biased and the sample was self—selecting—in other words, unrepresentative. If that's sufficient justification to be skeptical of the results, then the argument is valid, so this answer strengthens it.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Bizarro Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
Financial magazine: Our survey shows people are more concerned about finances than politics

Statistician: One question was biased, and the sample was self—selecting, so it's reasonable to be skeptical of that conclusion.

Answer Anticipation:
The Statistician points out two flaws with a survey in order to call the conclusion of that survey into question. As such, we should expect answers that highlight how the two flaws that were pointed out truly do apply.

The first flaw is that a question comparing politics and personal finances was biased. The second is that the sample was self—selecting. Any answers that highlight the truth of these assertions or add evidence for them will strengthen the argument.

Also note what the conclusion says, specifically—it's not that the results of the survey are wrong, just that there's reason to be skeptical of those results. As such, any answer that raises a reason that we can't be certain that the results are accurate will serve to strengthen this argument—which is, admittedly, a low bar!

Answer Explanation:
The Statistician is skeptical of the survey results stating that people care more about personal finances than politics. This answer doesn't speak to the relative concern people show between those two topics, and a third topic is out of scope, so this answer doesn't have any effect on the argument and is thus correct.

Key Takeaway:
When in a Strengthen question, always think about what level of evidence would help to justify the conclusion. Here, since the conclusion was just that we should be skeptical of a conclusion drawn from a survey, the type of information that would support it is different than if we were trying to strengthen a conclusion that the survey's conclusion was wrong.