PrepTest 140

Incorrect. Vincent states this; Yolanda doesn't disagree with this. In fact, in bringing up another subjective area as a parallel, she implicitly agrees that it's at least somewhat subjective.

Incorrect. Vincent doesn't discuss optometry at all, so this answer is out of scope of his argument.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
V: not Measured → not Studied by science. Happiness is entirely subjective, so it can't be measured.

Y: Eye doctors rely on patient reports, and it's a science. Happiness research relies on subjective reports.

Answer Anticipation:
Both Vincent and Yolanda discuss science, happiness and subjectivity, so those are the areas of overlap. Vincent believes that happiness is subjective, and subjective things can't be measured. Based on his premise, that guarantees happiness can't be studied by science. Yolanda, on the other hand, believes that subjective reports can form the basis of science—such as in the case of optometrists. So the point at issue between the two is whether science can rely on subjective reports—Vincent believes it can't; Yolanda believes it does.

Answer Explanation:
Vincent believes that things that can't be measured can't be studied by science, and subjective experiences can't be measured—he therefore is committed to disagreeing with this. Yolanda, on the other hand, agrees with this since she brings up the example of optometrists, scientists who rely on subjective reports.

Key Takeaway:
Point at Issue questions can be a lot easier if you start by identifying the topics that overlap between the two speakers. This is especially true when a lot of both speakers' arguments are implied instead of explicitly stated.

Incorrect. Yolanda might strongly imply this (though she falls short of saying it), but Vincent doesn't discuss optometry, so we don't know how he feels about it as a scientific discipline.

Incorrect. Yolanda doesn't discuss things that can't be measured, so this answer is out of scope of her argument. Additionally, Vincent assumes the reverse of this—that entirely subjective experiences can't be measured, not that things that can't be measured must be entirely subjective.