PrepTest 110

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Weaken

Stimulus Summary:
Traditional view — The five senses are distinct and don't overlap
Study — Some people say that tastes and colors overlap, or that colors and smells overlap
Conclusion — Some people's senses don't conform to the traditional view

Answer Anticipation:
There are two features of this argument that suggest specific flaws.

First, there's a study/research done, so we should consider a sampling flaw, and a correlation/causation flaw. However, the conclusion here isn't causal, so we can dismiss that possibility. And the conclusion is about the existence of a group, so the "sample" in the study doesn't have to be representative—it just has to include people that fall into the group the conclusion says exists. Thus there's no sampling flaw.

The other feature is a little more subtle and hard to spot if you don't know to look for it. Here the research discusses people who "claim" that they can taste colors and "say" that the color has a certain smell. Those are subjective claims that can't be verified and thus they can't support a claim about what is actually being experienced. Those people could be lying or mistaken. In jumping between the subjective statements of individuals and the reality of the situation this argument/study is flawed. Let's find an answer that attacks this shift.

Answer Explanation:
If this group misunderstands and misuses words then it might not be that they're experiencing what they say they're experiencing but rather they're incorrectly describing their experiences. This would weaken the conclusion about the reality of their senses by establishing that what they say/their claims don't reflect reality.

Key Takeaway:
When there are premises based on what people think believe say or claim there's always the chance that those people are wrong and thus their claims/thoughts don't reflect reality. This Perception vs. Reality can be hard to spot especially when the stimulus deals with something that would necessarily rely on self—reported data.

Incorrect. The conclusion is about the traditional senses not having boundaries for all individuals; other senses are out of scope.

Incorrect. If anything there being a common set of "rules" for how synesthesia works suggests that it might be a real phenomenon strengthening the argument.

Incorrect. If anything, more evidence suggesting the phenomenon happens would only serve to strengthen the argument.

Incorrect. This answer suggests that their experiences are true, which would strengthen the argument.