Logical reasoning PrepTest 127 · Section 1 · Question 10

Question prompt

Prediction, the hallmark of Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: D

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

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Valid

Question Type

Main Point Questions

Stimulus Summary

Natural sciences reduce things to math to make predictions.
Some social scientists - We should do what natural scientists do
Author - That would be a mistake
Why? - It would discount non-math data and distort the observed phenomena

Answer Anticipation

The author’s opinion of an opposing point will almost always serve as the main point of an argument. Here, the opposing point is some social scientists, who believe that their field should adopt something from the natural sciences. The author of this argument then claims that this would be a mistake - her opinion of the opposing point. That this is the main point is backed up by the rest of the stimulus providing support for that claim - an explanation of why it would be a mistake.
Now that we’ve identified the main point, there’s one more step - since it refers back to an earlier viewpoint, we want to rephrase it to say what the author means. In stating that adopting the math-based methods of natural sciences would be a mistake, the author is saying that social sciences shouldn’t adopt the process of reducing phenomena to mathematical equations. Let’s find that answer.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The social sciences do Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This is an assumption underlying the argument and implied by some of the comparisons made, but it’s not the main point.
  2. B
    Mathematics plays a more Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer is implied by the premises, but it’s not stated or the main point.
  3. C
    There is a need Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This is what some social scientists believe, but it’s not necessarily what the author believes.
  4. D
    Phenomena in the social Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    This answer rephrases the literal conclusion to what it means. The author thinks that the proposal by the social scientists is a mistake - in other words, it shouldn’t be done. That proposal is to reduce phenomena to mathematical equations, so she concludes- as this answer says - that the social sciences shouldn’t reduce phenomena to mathematical formulas.
  5. E
    Prediction is responsible for Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This is more background than anything else - the reason why some social scientists want to copy the natural sciences.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 13%
  2. B 2%
  3. C 3%
  4. D Credited 80%
  5. E 1%

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