PrepTest 134, Section 1, Question 11
In considering the fact that many people believe(57 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(10 more words not shown)
- APeople in positions(6 more words not shown)
- BOfficial guidelines for(7 more words not shown)
- CFlattery that is(9 more words not shown)
- DMany people interpret(5 more words not shown)
- ESupervisors are almost(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Can't a boss enjoy a compliment even while knowing the employee is trying to flatter them?
The psychologist says flattery generally isn't what gets these employees promoted, because the flattery is usually obvious. But noticing someone's attempt to please you doesn't automatically make that attempt ineffective. Imagine a supervisor thinking, “That compliment is over the top, but I still like hearing it.” The employee's motive could be transparent and the praise could still influence the supervisor.
What we’re looking for
So the missing connection is between being noticed and failing to influence. We're asked for an assumption that makes the conclusion follow. Give us a rule that supervisors generally aren't influenced by flattery they recognize. Since almost all the flattery is noticeable, that would explain why it generally isn't the cause of the promotions. We don't need to deny that flatterers get promoted; we need to establish that their flattery generally isn't responsible.
Working the answers
- A
Expecting flattery doesn't mean being immune to it. A supervisor could expect employees to praise them and still reward the employees who do it. This tells us about anticipation, while the argument needs a connection between noticing flattery and not being influenced by it.
- B
Official guidelines and actual decisions can differ. A workplace might say promotions depend on merit while a supervisor quietly favors people who offer compliments. We aren't told the guidelines are followed, and guidelines tending to focus on merit don't rule out flattery affecting who gets promoted.
- C
This addresses flattery that goes unnoticed. The evidence concerns flattery that is obvious even to its target. Whether unnoticed flattery works doesn't establish that the noticeable flattery here fails to influence supervisors. We need the rule to apply to the kind of flattery described.
- D
Mistaking insincere praise for sincere admiration doesn't show that the praise is ineffective. If anything, it gives us a way praise could be welcomed. But the important point is that D supplies no rule preventing the supervisors from being influenced; it cannot carry us to the psychologist's conclusion.
- ECorrect
Supervisors are almost never influenced by flattery they recognize. Almost all the flattery at issue is obvious, so it falls into the category this rule covers. That connects the evidence about noticing with the conclusion about ineffectiveness.
Notice the conclusion's modest wording: flattery generally isn't the reason for success. E doesn't have to prove that no compliment has ever helped anyone get promoted. The near-universal lack of influence, combined with how commonly the flattery is recognized, supports that general conclusion.
More Sufficient Assumption questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Sufficient Assumption questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.