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- Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:00 am
#25862
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (A)
This question highlights the value of paying attention to the details of the language used by stimulus authors. In this case, the psychologist’s use of the adjective “alleged” exposes a bias that leads to a flaw in the argument, and which produces a powerful prephrase opportunity.
The psychologist discusses birth-order effects, the alleged effects of when one was born relative to the birth of siblings. These effects have not been detected in studies of adult personality that use standard personality tests. But, the psychologist says, birth-order effects have been detected in birth-order studies that are based on parents’ and siblings’ reports of the subjects’ personalities. From this evidence, the psychologist concludes that birth order has no lasting effect on personality, but rather affects merely how a sibling’s behavior is perceived.
A flaw in this argument is that the psychologist relies on standard personality tests to determine that birth order does not have a lasting effect on personality. However, it may be the case that standard personality tests are not designed to identify birth order effects. A clue that this may be the case is the psychologist’s use of “alleged” in his description of the effect, indicating that birth-order effects may not be accepted by the psychological community at large and, therefore, would not necessarily be part of the standard personality testing.
In this Assumption question, the correct answer choice will likely the defend the conclusion against an attack on this potential weakness by stating that the standard personality tests do test for birth-order defects.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, because it defends the conclusion against the idea that standard personality tests are not designed to identify birth-order effects. If the information in this choice were not the case, then the failure of standard personality tests to detect birth-order effects would not be evidence that they do not exist.
Answer choice (B): This choice is incorrect because the argument did not address the difference in a person’s behavior when they are in the presence of their family, but rather whether a person’s behavior in general is affected by their birth order.
Answer choice (C): This choice is incorrect because the argument was about the changes in an individual’s personality, rather than about the consistency of the perceptions of that person held by his parents and siblings.
Answer choice (D): Because the conclusion concerned whether adult personalities are effected, long-term, by birth-order, this choice, which addresses birth-order effects in young children, is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): This choice is incorrect because the accuracy of the perceptions of parents and siblings regarding the behavior patterns of family members is not relevant to the conclusion that birth-order has no lasting effect on personality.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (A)
This question highlights the value of paying attention to the details of the language used by stimulus authors. In this case, the psychologist’s use of the adjective “alleged” exposes a bias that leads to a flaw in the argument, and which produces a powerful prephrase opportunity.
The psychologist discusses birth-order effects, the alleged effects of when one was born relative to the birth of siblings. These effects have not been detected in studies of adult personality that use standard personality tests. But, the psychologist says, birth-order effects have been detected in birth-order studies that are based on parents’ and siblings’ reports of the subjects’ personalities. From this evidence, the psychologist concludes that birth order has no lasting effect on personality, but rather affects merely how a sibling’s behavior is perceived.
A flaw in this argument is that the psychologist relies on standard personality tests to determine that birth order does not have a lasting effect on personality. However, it may be the case that standard personality tests are not designed to identify birth order effects. A clue that this may be the case is the psychologist’s use of “alleged” in his description of the effect, indicating that birth-order effects may not be accepted by the psychological community at large and, therefore, would not necessarily be part of the standard personality testing.
In this Assumption question, the correct answer choice will likely the defend the conclusion against an attack on this potential weakness by stating that the standard personality tests do test for birth-order defects.
Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, because it defends the conclusion against the idea that standard personality tests are not designed to identify birth-order effects. If the information in this choice were not the case, then the failure of standard personality tests to detect birth-order effects would not be evidence that they do not exist.
Answer choice (B): This choice is incorrect because the argument did not address the difference in a person’s behavior when they are in the presence of their family, but rather whether a person’s behavior in general is affected by their birth order.
Answer choice (C): This choice is incorrect because the argument was about the changes in an individual’s personality, rather than about the consistency of the perceptions of that person held by his parents and siblings.
Answer choice (D): Because the conclusion concerned whether adult personalities are effected, long-term, by birth-order, this choice, which addresses birth-order effects in young children, is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): This choice is incorrect because the accuracy of the perceptions of parents and siblings regarding the behavior patterns of family members is not relevant to the conclusion that birth-order has no lasting effect on personality.
