PrepTest 149

Incorrect. While the reactions here do appear contradictory, the stimulus never discusses the thought process behind these reactions, so we can't say that the people didn't carefully consider evidence here. Also, this answer is too strong in stating that this is "usually" the case.

Incorrect. Both situations would have benefited people in the same way, so in stating that people will reach different perceptions based on different benefits this answer doesn't reflect the stimulus.

Incorrect. This answer doesn't reflect the different emotional reactions based on how the financial issue was framed. Also, this answer is too strong in stating that this is "usually" the case.

Incorrect. The stimulus doesn't establish that the cost of gas doesn't make a significant difference in people's lives—commuters might have fuel costs as a significant portion of their budget. Additionally, the stimulus doesn't note that people changed their minds about an issue, but rather that they had different reactions to different framings of an issue.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Illustration

Stimulus Summary:
A gas station charged a $.25 surcharge for credit cards—this made people mad. Then they switched and charged everyone $.25 extra but offered a discount for cash, and people were happier.

Answer Anticipation:
This stimulus compares two situations, so it's important that we understand what's similar and different.

On the similarity side, the total paid by people was the same. Credit card customers paid $.25 more than cash customers in both scenarios.

However, reactions were different. When people thought they were being charged extra for using a credit card, they were mad. When people thought they were being offered a discount for paying in cash, they were happy.

So this stimulus illustrates that, at least sometimes, how people perceive a cost can influence how they feel about it.

Answer Explanation:
This answer reflects the scenarios in the stimulus. People reached different evaluations of a situation—one was angering, the other wasn't—based on the situation itself (they were paying the same in either case) but rather on whether it was presented as a surcharge or a discount. This generalization is illustrated by the stimulus, so it's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
For Illustration questions, pay attention to the strength of the generalization! Single examples—without a note that they're generally representative—will support weak generalizations ("sometimes"), not stronger ones ("usually").