PrepTest 111, Section 1, Question 15
Statistician: A financial magazine claimed that its survey(63 more words not shown)
Each of the following, if(7 more words not shown)
- AThe credibility of(12 more words not shown)
- BThe conclusions drawn(8 more words not shown)
- COther surveys suggest(14 more words not shown)
- DThere is reason(13 more words not shown)
- EOther surveys suggest(16 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
People who subscribe to a financial magazine might be unusually interested in finances. Why treat their answers as a picture of North Americans generally?
Then look at the question's wording: ordinary “politics” is set against the “joy” of earning money. That positive framing could influence which option people choose. The statistician notices both problems and concludes that we have reason to be skeptical. I agree that those are reasons to hesitate before accepting the survey's broad conclusion.
To push back, we might ask whether these subscribers actually are representative despite choosing this magazine. That would address the sampling concern, though it wouldn't automatically fix the wording.
What we’re looking for
But the task runs the other way: four choices strengthen the statistician's argument, and we want the exception. We should accept even a modest additional reason for skepticism. More evidence of bias or a rule explaining why a biased sample warrants doubt would help; the answer we choose must fail to provide that kind of support.
Working the answers
- A
This is weaker than showing the specific sampling problem, but a history of challenges to the magazine's credibility gives some additional reason to be cautious about its reported conclusion. It doesn't prove the magazine is wrong this time. The conclusion only asks for skepticism, though, so A offers support and isn't the exception.
- B
If most magazine surveys' conclusions have eventually been disproved, that gives us a general reason to be wary of another magazine survey. It doesn't establish that this particular result is false, and it doesn't directly confirm the wording or sample criticism. Still, it adds support to the modest conclusion that skepticism is reasonable.
- C
Other surveys point to equal concern about politics and finances, which conflicts with the claim that finances matter more. That competing evidence gives us another reason to question this survey's conclusion. We don't have to assume the other surveys are infallible to see why their different result supports caution.
- D
This gives the general rule connecting the statistician's criticisms to the conclusion. If biased and unrepresentative surveys warrant skepticism, the alleged flaws in this survey are reasons to doubt its result. D directly supports the inference, so it isn't the exception.
- ECorrect
North Americans can care about social issues and still care more about finances than politics. Adding a third subject doesn't tell us how the first two compare.
For example, caring deeply about social issues wouldn't prevent someone from spending more time thinking about money than about politics. E neither challenges the reported comparison nor adds a reason to question the survey's method or credibility. Unlike the other choices, it doesn't strengthen the statistician's case for skepticism.
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