PrepTest 122, Section 2, Question 13
A survey of clerical workers' attitudes toward their(62 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(7 more words not shown)
- AIt attempts to(14 more words not shown)
- BIt restates the(17 more words not shown)
- CIt does not(22 more words not shown)
- DIt uses the(8 more words not shown)
- EIt identifies the(21 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What if they enjoy their work because they're good at it?
The survey finds positive attitudes among secretaries whom supervisors rate highly. I can see why enjoying word processing and learning new skills might help someone perform well. But the argument jumps from that plausible story to declaring it the cause.
The direction could run the other way. Imagine someone who handles the work easily, gets good results, and consequently enjoys the day more. Success could produce the positive attitude rather than result from it. Both stories fit the pattern of good performance going along with enthusiasm.
What we’re looking for
We might also wonder whether employees give upbeat survey answers because they're worried about their supervisors' reactions. Even setting that concern aside and accepting the attitudes as genuine, the direction problem remains. The flaw question should point to the unsupported move from an observed connection to the claim that positivity caused the excellent work.
Working the answers
- A
The conclusion stays with these secretaries. It doesn't use their experience to announce a rule about all occupations. A would fit a broader leap—for example, from this group to every lawyer and doctor—but that isn't the conclusion the author draws.
- B
The author does offer evidence: the positive survey responses go along with strong supervisor ratings. That isn't just the conclusion repeated in different words. The evidence doesn't settle which factor caused which, but inadequate support is different from no support beyond repeating the claim.
- C
They might enjoy walking the dog or cooking too. That doesn't undermine the idea that their positive attitude toward work helps their performance. General enthusiasm could coexist with that proposed effect. C leaves open exactly the causal story we need a reason to question.
- D
“Positive attitudes” keeps the same meaning: favorable feelings toward the work. We don't switch between unrelated meanings the way someone might confuse a crane used for construction with a crane that is a bird. The reasoning goes wrong in explaining the connection, not by changing what the term means.
- ECorrect
The author makes positive attitudes the cause of excellent performance, but the excellent performance could instead help produce those attitudes. If doing the job well makes the work satisfying, we'd see the same combination of enthusiasm and strong ratings. The survey alone doesn't tell us which direction the influence runs. That's why our alternative challenges the argument without requiring us to deny either reported observation.
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