PrepTest 129, Section 1, Question 4
A strong correlation exists between what people value(36 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AKnowing how people(8 more words not shown)
- BPeople's claims concerning(8 more words not shown)
- CNo two people(11 more words not shown)
- DPeople who value(12 more words not shown)
- EWhat people value(10 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
That makes sense. If someone cares especially about wealth, I would expect money to matter a great deal when that person chooses a job. A higher salary might make an undesirable location worth accepting.
The same idea works beyond money. Someone who values time with family might choose fewer work hours. Someone who loves sports might spend more on attending games. Knowing what matters to a person gives us some basis for anticipating what that person will do.
That's the point the argument reaches. It starts with a strong connection between values and actions, illustrates the connection with job choices, and concludes that knowing people's values can help us predict their actions. The wealth example supports that broader claim; it isn't the whole point.
What we’re looking for
Since the question asks for the conclusion, look for the same idea in different words: what people care about can help indicate how they will act. Keep that direction straight, and preserve the modest claim that values can help us predict behavior. We don't need a guarantee about every choice.
Working the answers
- A
This goes from observing behavior to inferring values. The argument's conclusion goes from knowing values to predicting behavior. Those may be related ideas, but A switches which information we start with and which information we use it to discover.
- B
What people claim to value isn't necessarily what they actually value. Someone could say that family matters most while consistently prioritizing something else. The argument is about the relationship between actual values and actions, not a claim that people's statements about their values are symptoms of their actions.
- C
This says that people with different values never act alike in identical circumstances. The argument doesn't claim that. Two people could choose the same job for different reasons, even though knowing their values helps predict their choices. C turns a helpful relationship into a sweeping rule about every pair of people.
- D
This captures the example about people who value wealth allowing pay to outweigh location. That example supports the broader conclusion about predicting actions from values. D stops at the example instead of stating the point it illustrates.
- ECorrect
Calling values a reliable indicator of actions restates the idea that knowing what people value can help predict what they will do. It preserves both the direction of the relationship and the conclusion's general scope.
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