PrepTest 139

Incorrect. The argument doesn't bring up any situations where crime statistics don't reflect the motives of those reporting them, so there's no evaluation of the evidence against the conclusion. Additionally, the argument brings up evidence for the conclusion, but it doesn't evaluate that evidence.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Methods of Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Police, politicians, and newspapers all selectively report crime statistics for their own purposes, so crime stats probably often reflect the motives of the reporters as much as the reality of crime.

Answer Anticipation:
The argument starts with it's conclusion ("probably" being a keyword telling us that the first sentence likely serves that role). That conclusion is that crime stats reflect the motives of those reporting them as much as they reflect the reality of crime.

From there, it goes into three examples of people who might report on crime statistics, and how they can "manipulate" those statistics to serve their needs.

So, short version, the argument supports its conclusion by bringing up several examples of it.

Answer Explanation:
The argument brings up three examples of people's motives influencing how they report crime statistics, thus supporting the conclusion that this is a common occurrence. This answer reflects the method of reasoning, so it's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Supporting a generalization by bringing up several examples is a common method of reasoning in Methods of Reasoning questions and so one to be on the lookout for when tackling one of these questions.

Incorrect. For this answer to be correct, the generalization would have to be a premise (since the argument doesn't establish premises, it assumes them to be true) that then goes on to support implications. Here, almost the opposite happens—the generalization is supported by examples (which are distinct from implications).

Incorrect. While the misrepresentation of crime statistics to serve a purpose may be classified as a problem, there's no solution proposed.

Incorrect. There's no evidence noted that supposedly contradicts the conclusion.