Logical reasoning PrepTest 114 · Section 1 · Question 8

Incorrect. The Town Officials assume this in making their recommendation that people should fly using the airline more frequently, thus increasing the number of tickets sold. However, the question asks us to find an assumption made by the Pundit.

Incorrect. The Pundit's conclusion is about the advice of the Town Officials. There's no assumption there that the airline has options other than stopping or continuing service at a loss, just that their advice shouldn't be followed because they're hypocrites.

Incorrect. How the travel was paid for is out of scope—what matters is whether the travel matches their recommendation to others.

Incorrect. The cost of the transportation is out of scope, as the only thing that matters to the Pundit's argument is whether their hypocrisy invalidates their recommendation.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Problem - The only airline offering service to a town is closing down that route
Town Official solution - Use the airline more so they decide to stay!
Pundit - Don't do that
Why? - The Town Officials drove to an out-of-town conference instead of flying

Answer Anticipation:
The Pundit in this argument tells people not to follow the advice of the Town Officials. Why should it be ignored? Because they didn't follow their own advice last weekend!

There are two issues with that.

First, there's no indication that the Town Officials could have flown to their conference. Maybe it was to a location that didn't have a flight route. Second, even if they could have flown and are thus hypocrites, that doesn't mean their advice is bad. They could be hypocrites but correct. Attacking the people instead of their recommendation is a common error of reasoning on the exam.

The question stem asks us to find an error in reasoning by highlighting something that the argument assumes, so let's find an answer reflecting one of the assumptions underlying these flaws:
(1) The airline offered service to the location of the out-of-town conference
(2) If the Town Officials don't take their own advice, then no one should

Answer Explanation:
This answer reflects the Attacking the Person (Hypocrisy) flaw. That flaw assumes that someone acting hypocritically invalidates their advice, which is what the Pundit does in this argument.

Key Takeaway:
An accusation of hypocrisy is a common Attacking the Person flaw. Someone can be a hypocrite and be correct.