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- Posts: 8917
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Tue Jul 18, 2017 7:41 am
#37401
Complete Question Explanation
Method of Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (D)
The executive’s company ran a set of ads in the print version of a travel magazine and on that
magazine’s website. They were only able to obtain information regarding consumer response to the
ads on the website. Nevertheless, given that the two sets of ads were similar, the executive concluded
that the consumer response to the print ads would be similar as well.
In answering this Method of Reasoning question, it is important to prephrase a general description
of the argument: the executive was able to predict the results of a particular course of action based
on the results of a similar course of action. This prephrase agrees with answer choice (D), which is
correct.
Answer choice (A): This answer can be immediately eliminated, because the argument is not based
on information about how intense the reasons were for running the ads.
Answer choice (B): The executive does not make any mention of the typical frequency with which
the company runs advertisements.
Answer choice (C): This answer can be immediately eliminated, because the argument’s conclusion
is not a statistical generalization. Furthermore, the premises do not involve a large number of specific
instances.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The author uses a case in which direct
evidence is available (consumer response to the ads on the website) to draw a conclusion about an
analogous case in which direct evidence is unavailable (consumer response to the print ads).
Answer choice (E): This is an attractive answer choice, because the print ads are comparable to the
ads on the website. However, the executive’s conclusion does not amount to a prediction of a future
outcome; rather, it is a hypothesis about a past outcome. The company already ran both sets of ads
and concluded that consumer response to the print ads was probably below par.
Method of Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (D)
The executive’s company ran a set of ads in the print version of a travel magazine and on that
magazine’s website. They were only able to obtain information regarding consumer response to the
ads on the website. Nevertheless, given that the two sets of ads were similar, the executive concluded
that the consumer response to the print ads would be similar as well.
In answering this Method of Reasoning question, it is important to prephrase a general description
of the argument: the executive was able to predict the results of a particular course of action based
on the results of a similar course of action. This prephrase agrees with answer choice (D), which is
correct.
Answer choice (A): This answer can be immediately eliminated, because the argument is not based
on information about how intense the reasons were for running the ads.
Answer choice (B): The executive does not make any mention of the typical frequency with which
the company runs advertisements.
Answer choice (C): This answer can be immediately eliminated, because the argument’s conclusion
is not a statistical generalization. Furthermore, the premises do not involve a large number of specific
instances.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The author uses a case in which direct
evidence is available (consumer response to the ads on the website) to draw a conclusion about an
analogous case in which direct evidence is unavailable (consumer response to the print ads).
Answer choice (E): This is an attractive answer choice, because the print ads are comparable to the
ads on the website. However, the executive’s conclusion does not amount to a prediction of a future
outcome; rather, it is a hypothesis about a past outcome. The company already ran both sets of ads
and concluded that consumer response to the print ads was probably below par.