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#35108
Complete Question Explanation

Method of Reasoning—AP, CE. The correct answer choice is (E)

Your task in this Method of Reasoning question is to select the answer choice that best describes the
role played in the argument by the claim that driving position affects both comfort and the ability to
see the road clearly. Reordered for clarity, the argument proceeds

..... Premise: ..... a driver who is uncomfortable eventually becomes fatigued, which makes it
..... ..... ..... ..... difficult to concentrate on the road

..... Premise: ..... the better the visibility from the driver’s seat, the more aware the driver can be
..... ..... ..... ..... of road conditions and other vehicles

..... Premise: ..... driving position affects both comfort and the ability to see the road clearly

..... Conclusion: ..... thus, the position of a car driver’s seat probably has a significant impact on
..... ..... ..... ..... driver safety

Your prephrase is that the claim identified in the question stem is a premise offered in support of
the conclusion. The incorrect answers will mistakenly identify the claim as playing some other role
within the argument, or will describe something that did not occur in the stimulus.

Answer choice (A): The claim identified is a premise, for which no support is offered, not the
conclusion.

Answer choice (B): This choice is incorrect, because the evidence offered in the stimulus was
consistent with the claim.

Answer choice (C): While this argument was causal in nature, the argument did not describe an
observed phenomenon and then present a causal explanation for it.

Answer choice (D): This choice is incorrect, because the claim was provided in support of the
conclusion, and was not refuted by it.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. The claim identified in the question stem
was a premise of the argument.
 srcline@noctrl.edu
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#29189
Hello,

So I was in between C And E answer choices on this role question and I chose C. So the question is asking what role is played by "driving position affects both comfort and the ability to see the road clearly". So the conclusion of this stimulus is that essentially the position of a car driver' seat probably has a significant impact on driving safety. Wouldn't C explain this?

Thankyou
Sarah
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 Jonathan Evans
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#29197
Hi, Sarah,

Good question. In a method of reasoning question, the most powerful tool at your disposal is your prephrasing.

For instance, here you are correct that
the conclusion of this stimulus is that essentially the position of a car driver' seat probably has a significant impact on driving safety.
Therefore, you could reasonably prephrase that the role of the phrase in question is a premise offered in support of this conclusion.

Answer choice C is an attractive incorrect answer. To avoid falling for this trap: MATCH each concept in the answer choice to the corresponding part in the stimulus.

For example, here you might decide that the effects of driving position are a "causal explanation." Now, however, you must ask yourself what is the "observed phenomenon" for which they provide a causal explanation. The only possible match would be the sentence you have identified as the conclusion, but the conclusion is not an "observed phenomenon;" it is the claim the author sets out to support.

Therefore C is not a match. E gives you a precise match for your prephrase.
 lsattaker202
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#39722
Hello there for C to be correct the author would have to state in the conclusion the position of a driver's seat makes one drive more safely (something along these lines?) Thank you!
 nicholaspavic
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#39803
Hi 202,

This is another great question. You have the right idea. You would want to see "comfort and the ability to see the road clearly" linked to driver saftey causally in some way. Here, the "probably" doesn't give us causation. It's merely an expression of probability. In other words, it doesn't use classic causation phrases like "is responsible for" or "makes" or "because." Those would all be great words to denote causation which are lacking in this stimulus.

Thanks and I hope this helps!
 harvoolio
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#45617
I had actually pre-phrased a premise, saw answer choice (E) as a premise and that none of the other answers were close to this. So, I thought I must be missing something for a number #22 question and then read into the stimulus answer choice (C).

:oops:
 Daniel Stern
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#45836
Trust your skills in pre-phrasing and don't over-think it! You were absolutely right that the statement at issue was a premise, and E was correct!

Don't second guess yourself, you've got this!
Dan

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