#18 - Field studies, which have long been a staple

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (A)

This author begins by outlining what is involved in anthropological “field studies,” but quickly interjects by claiming that their usefulness is overrated. Note the use of the adverb “however,” which is commonly used to change the direction of the argument. The last sentence provides support for the second: field studies are not terribly useful because anthropologists underestimate the impact of living within the communities they study.

The argument is structured as follows:

• Premise: Anthropologists underestimate the impact of living within the communities they study.
  
  Conclusion: Anthropologists overestimate the usefulness of field studies.

The question that follows asks for the author’s overall conclusion. Answer choice (A) agrees with our prephrase, and is correct. Note that the first sentence is irrelevant to the author’s conclusion, as it merely defines field studies and concedes that they have played an important role in research. Another concession is made in the beginning of the last sentence: most anthropologists know about the impact they are having on the communities they study. Neither claim plays any structural role in the argument.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice, because the second sentence of the stimulus is directly supported by the third. Do not be misled by the fact that certain words, such as “usefulness” and “value,” or “overrate” and “overestimate,” are being used interchangeably. Correct answers to Main Point questions frequently avoid restating the conclusion verbatim.

Answer choice (B): The author does say that in a field study, the researcher lives within the community being studied. However, as discussed, this is not the conclusion of the argument, so this choice should be ruled out of contention.

Answer choice (C): It is true that field studies have long been a staple of anthropological research, but the argument as a whole is not intended to support this claim.

Answer choice (D): It is true that most anthropologists know about the impact they are having on the communities they study, but the argument is not intended to support this observation, and no evidence is given to substantiate it.

Answer choice (E): The author clearly states that anthropologists underestimate the impact they are having on the communities they study, but this is not the conclusion of the argument. Rather, it is the only premise for that conclusion, because it provides support for the claim that the value of field studies is overrated.

[starre]

Could you explain why A is the correct answer? I think I eliminated it because of the word overestimate when I thought they underestimated. I thought this was a shell game, but it was actually the correct answer.

[Adam Tyson]

This is a Main Point question, Starre, so we want to know what the author is trying to prove.

His evidence is that anthropologists underestimate the impact that they have on the community, and his conclusion, based on that premise, is that they therefore overestimate the value of the studies.

Answer E captures the premise of the argument, not the Main Point. When in doubt, ask yourself which of the claims supports the other. Does underestimating the impact mean that they might overestimate the value of the study, or does overestimating the value of the study mean that they might underestimate their impact? Looked at that way, the latter seems more likely, and the statement getting the support is the Main Point. Main Points don't support anything!

Hope that helped!