PrepTest 114

Incorrect. This answer raises questions about the representativeness of the sample by highlighting another survey that found the opposite result.

Incorrect. If the survey didn't capture people's "true feelings" then the results about how people really feel would be incorrect. This calls the survey design into question, weakening the argument.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Bizarro Weaken

Stimulus Summary:
Survey question — Would you want to be told if you had a serious medical condition?
Response — 80+% said yes.
Conclusion — Most people would want to know if they had a serious medical condition

Answer Anticipation:
This argument takes the results of a survey and directly translates it into a general conclusion. When that's the case, there are two primary avenues for weakening it:
(1) Question the sample. Anything suggesting this survey's sample was unrepresentative will weaken the argument.
(2) Question the survey design. Anything suggesting that the survey was designed poorly or conducted in a bad manner will weaken this argument.

Let's find 4 answers that do one of these two things, eliminate them, and have our correct answer.

Answer Explanation:
First, this survey isn't really medical in nature—it's more about preferences or maybe even psychology. Second, even if it were medical, the researchers wouldn't all need to have a background in medicine—having a few statisticians would be fine. In fact, it would be possible to run a valid survey with no medical background, as running a survey doesn't require subject—level expertise unless the questions are technical in nature. This answer is out of scope and thus is correct in this Bizarro Weaken question.

Key Takeaway:
Surveys are generally weakened by the sample being unrepresentative or the survey being designed or run poorly.

Incorrect. If the questions biased people towards a certain answer by suggesting that was the reasonable answer, then the results are suspect and the argument is weakened.

Incorrect. This answer establishes that the sample wasn't necessarily representative since it wasn't random—they all came from a very specific background.