The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [36]
Problem 20: SAT Scores
Parents are too easily impressed with the recent rise in average SAT scores at the top American undergraduate universities and colleges. Unfortunately, this encouraging statistic is misleading. Scores have risen not because students possess better math, English, and writing skills but because students are better at taking tests. For those students accepted as undergraduates at the top universities and colleges, studies confirm that skills in the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics have been on the gradual decline over the past twenty years.
The author argues primarily by
A) Denying the accuracy of his opponents’ figures
B) Finding an alternative explanation for his opponent’s evidence
C) Introducing irrelevant information to draw attention away from the main issue
D) Employing circular reasoning
E) Suggesting that his opponent’s evidence may be flawed
See solution
Tip #32: When tackling cause-and-effect scenarios, think first in terms of alternative causal explanations. If an argument suggests that A is causing B, then check to see that another cause, namely C, is not instead causing B.
Problem 21: Valdez
Since Ana Valdez was installed as president of the Zipco Corporation, profits have averaged 15 percent each year. During her predecessor’s tenure, the corporation’s profits averaged only 8 percent per year. Obviously Ms. Valdez’s aggressive international marketing efforts have caused the acceleration in the growth of Zipco’s profits.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion drawn above?
A) During the tenure of Ms. Valdez’s predecessor, the corporation began an advertising campaign aimed at capturing consumers in developing countries between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five.
B) The corporation’s new manufacturing plant, constructed in the past year, has a 35 percent greater production capacity.
C) Since Ms. Valdez became president, the corporation has switched the primary focus of its advertising from print ads to radio and television commercials.
D) Ms. Valdez hired a well-known headhunting firm which found talented vice-presidents for two of the corporation’s five divisions.
E) Just before Ms. Valdez took over as president, her predecessor, Mr. Jones, directed the acquisition of a rival corporation, which has nearly doubled the corporation’s yearly revenues.
See solution
Tip #33: A more complex form of alternative explanation occurs when two effects result from a single cause. Thus, if an argument suggests that A is causing B, consider the possibility that another cause, namely C, could be causing both A and B.”
Problem 22: Headline
The headline of the College Tribune reads: “Obesity Linked to Depression.”
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the implied conclusion drawn between becoming overweight and falling into depression?
A) An obese person may not understand why he or she is depressed or how to escape from the throes of depression.
B) Depression can also result from things other than obesity.
C) Low self-esteem is frequently cited as the cause of both obesity and depression.
D) A person twice as overweight as another person is not likely to be twice as depressed.
E) Depression has in turn been linked to desperation and suicide.
See solution
Tip #34: If A is thought to be causing B, the idea that B is causing A is called reverse causation and casts serious doubt on the notion that A is really causing B.
Problem 23: TV Viewing
An investigator divided 128 adults into two distinct groups (high TV viewers and low TV viewers) based on the number of hours of violent TV programming they watched per day. A significantly larger percentage of the high-viewing group than of the low-viewing group demonstrated a high level of aggression. The investigator concluded that greater TV viewing, particularly of violent programming, caused higher aggression levels.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens