Parallel Reasoning Questions - General terms

[pacer]

Parallel Reasoning Questions - General terms

I know that for parallel reasoning questions, I should first put the scenario in the stimulus into simple terms and then do the same for each of the answer choices in an attempt to find a match.

But I am having difficulty in putting the stimulus and answer choices into simple terms. I feel that I get stuck and confused because I don't know what types of simple terms I should expect to see on these questions. Is there a list of possible types of scenarios (in simple terms)? Can you provide some guidance and advise?

[David Boyle]

Parallel Reasoning Questions - General terms

I know that for parallel reasoning questions, I should first put the scenario in the stimulus into simple terms and then do the same for each of the answer choices in an attempt to find a match.

But I am having difficulty in putting the stimulus and answer choices into simple terms. I feel that I get stuck and confused because I don't know what types of simple terms I should expect to see on these questions. Is there a list of possible types of scenarios (in simple terms)? Can you provide some guidance and advise?

Hello pacer,

What you say about "simple terms" sounds most like the "Test of Abstraction", i.e., boiling down the stimulus into a brief "slogan" or "sound bite", then matching it with an answer choice. Of course, that works sometimes; but what you might often want to do first, instead, is stuff that is not always "simple", e.g., diagramming any relevant conditional statements in the stimulus, and matching those to the answer choice.
Going down the list for the "elemental attack" we use in parallel reasoning: paralleling the reasoning is nice if you can obviously grasp it (e.g., if the stimulus uses a flowery metaphor); but if there's nothing so obvious, you may want to parallel the conclusion and/or the premises (which could involve diagramming any conditional or other reasoning); then after that, seeing if the stimulus is validly reasoned or not; then, the Test of Abstraction.
(It's o.k. to do the above steps out of order, of course, if one of them strikes you before another one does.)
So, if you can reduce things to simple terms, great. If not, it may work even better! (E.g., the stimulus has a complex chain of premises, and you can match that to the answer choice.)

Hope this helps,
David