- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8937
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Mon Apr 15, 2019 2:14 pm
#64114
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (E)
The researcher here tagged a number of armadillos during one spring and returned to the research
site the next fall. Based on the fact that a large majority of the tagged armadillos could be found
within a few hundred yards of their initial tagging, the researcher has concluded that armadillos do
not quickly move into new territories.
An assumption question follows. Since there is no clear “gap” between the premises and the
conclusion, this looks like a Defender Assumption question; application of the Assumption Negation
technique can turn a difficult Assumption question into a simpler Weaken question. The correct
answer choice, when negated, will weaken the argument in the stimulus.
Answer choice (A): This choice provides that the researcher tagged most of the armadillos in the
area the previous spring (“few were able to avoid being tagged”). The argument does not rely on
this assumption, because the researcher is discussing the group that were captured this fall. In other
words, the researcher does not need to have tagged any particular number or portion the previous
spring in order to draw the conclusion presented in the stimulus.
Answer choice (B): If the majority of tagged armadillos got away and were not recaptured, this
would weaken the researcher’s conclusion that armadillos do not move quickly into new territories.
Since this choice would actually hurt the researcher’s argument, it cannot be an assumption on which
the researcher relies.
Answer choice (C): The researcher’s conclusion does not presume that the armadillos were safe from
predators.
For confirmation, if we apply the Assumption Negation technique to this answer choice, we arrive
at the statement “predators did kill some of the tagged armadillos.” This does not weaken the
researcher’s argument, so this answer choice can be ruled out.
Answer choice (D): This is a fairly common type of wrong answer choice. It is nice that the tags
are reliable, but if they weren’t, the researcher’s argument would not be weakened, because the
conclusion is based on the portion that did have tags.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Again, we are looking for the choice which,
when negated, will weaken the researcher’s argument that armadillos are slow movers. When we
negate this choice, we get the following: “A large majority of the recaptured armadillos did move to
a new territory in the intervening summer and then move back to the old territory in the fall.” This
negated version would certainly weaken the author’s argument, so this must be an assumption on
which the researcher’s argument relies.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (E)
The researcher here tagged a number of armadillos during one spring and returned to the research
site the next fall. Based on the fact that a large majority of the tagged armadillos could be found
within a few hundred yards of their initial tagging, the researcher has concluded that armadillos do
not quickly move into new territories.
An assumption question follows. Since there is no clear “gap” between the premises and the
conclusion, this looks like a Defender Assumption question; application of the Assumption Negation
technique can turn a difficult Assumption question into a simpler Weaken question. The correct
answer choice, when negated, will weaken the argument in the stimulus.
Answer choice (A): This choice provides that the researcher tagged most of the armadillos in the
area the previous spring (“few were able to avoid being tagged”). The argument does not rely on
this assumption, because the researcher is discussing the group that were captured this fall. In other
words, the researcher does not need to have tagged any particular number or portion the previous
spring in order to draw the conclusion presented in the stimulus.
Answer choice (B): If the majority of tagged armadillos got away and were not recaptured, this
would weaken the researcher’s conclusion that armadillos do not move quickly into new territories.
Since this choice would actually hurt the researcher’s argument, it cannot be an assumption on which
the researcher relies.
Answer choice (C): The researcher’s conclusion does not presume that the armadillos were safe from
predators.
For confirmation, if we apply the Assumption Negation technique to this answer choice, we arrive
at the statement “predators did kill some of the tagged armadillos.” This does not weaken the
researcher’s argument, so this answer choice can be ruled out.
Answer choice (D): This is a fairly common type of wrong answer choice. It is nice that the tags
are reliable, but if they weren’t, the researcher’s argument would not be weakened, because the
conclusion is based on the portion that did have tags.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Again, we are looking for the choice which,
when negated, will weaken the researcher’s argument that armadillos are slow movers. When we
negate this choice, we get the following: “A large majority of the recaptured armadillos did move to
a new territory in the intervening summer and then move back to the old territory in the fall.” This
negated version would certainly weaken the author’s argument, so this must be an assumption on
which the researcher’s argument relies.