#11 - It is now a common complaint that the electronic media

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Question #11: Method-AP. The correct answer choice is (C).

The argument follows a predictable structure: an argument is presented and countered with an analogy justifying a slightly different conclusion:

• Common complaint: E-media has eroded the skills people need for literary media.
  Counterpremise: Long ago, the complaint was that literary media eroded the skills needed for oral culture.
  
  Conclusion: We're in for change rather than a downslide.

The stem is asking us to identify the role in the argument played by the old complaint. Formulating a prephrase is key to Method-AP questions: the old complaint is an example of a worry that ultimately proved unfounded.

Answer choice (A): This answer choice is incorrect, because the author seeks to counter the claim that the intellectual skills fostered by the literary media are being destroyed by the electronic media.

Answer choice (B) is incorrect, because no general hypothesis is being advanced.

Answer choice (C) is the correct answer choice, as it matches the general gist of our prephrase: the claim is an example of a change that wasn't so bad in retrospect.

Answer choice (D) is attractive, but incorrect. The author suggests that even if those skills are eroding, maybe that's not such a bad thing in the end. Note that the conclusion does not dismiss the complaint outright: it concedes that the human mind will be altered, but not necessarily for the worse.

Answer choice (E) is incorrect, because the referenced claim would not be cited by supporters of the hypothesis being criticized. The complaint is cited by the author in support of his own conclusion.

[saranash1]

11. Why couldn't the answer choice be d instead of c?

[Steve Stein]

Hi saranash1,

It would be helpful to know a bit more about how you broke this one down--did you break down the stimulus? Do you disagree with C, or just think that D provides an equally accurate description of the role played by the referenced complaint?

Let me know--thanks!

~Steve

[saranash1]

I thought the first sentence was a counter premis to the second sentence. And that the conclusion was the last sentence. I interpreted the second sentence to be attempt to prove sentence one wrong.


So I thought chose answer choice C.
"evidence that the claim that the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary mediare are being lost is unwarranted"

[Steve Stein]

Hi saranash1,

Thanks for your response. I'm not clear on which answer choice you selected-please let me know--thanks!

~Steve

[saranash1]

I chose answer choice D

[Steve Stein]

Hey,

Thanks for your response. I'd say your breakdown of the stimulus is good. Let's simplify before moving on to the question:

Common complaint: e-media has eroded the skills people need for literary media.
But, long ago, the complaint was that literary media eroded the skills needed for oral culture.
So, looks like we're in for change rather than on the downslide.

Question: the reference to the old complaint played what role?

Answer choice C: an example of a change that doesn't seem like it was so bad in retrospect.

Answer choice D: evidence against the claim that the skills people need for media are not actually eroding.

The problem with D is that the author is really saying that even if those skills are eroding, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

I hope that's helpful! Please let me know whether this is clear--thanks!

~Steve

[lsatnoobie]

Hello! I’m confused as to how you’re seeing this: “The problem with D is that the author is really saying that even if those skills are eroding, maybe that's not such a bad thing.”

How can you take away from the conclusion that the author conceded the possibility that the entire intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media is eroding? Isn’t the author saying in His conclusion that “no, it’s not completely eroding — (the author says RATHER than its devolution)

Also, doesn’t the premise (second sentence) suggest that the loss of oral culture skills to the spread of literary DIDNT happen? It seems like the other is saying sentence 1 won’t happen because look at the example in sentence 2 — it didn’t happen.

Could you please point out the flaw in my thinking? Thank you very much.

[Daniel Stern]

The problem with answer choice D boils down to 2 words: "evidence" and "unwarranted."

The question is asking what role in the argument is played by the complaint from several centuries ago.

D says this old complaint is being brought in as evidence that the current complaint is not valid. The old complaint is not being used as evidence, but rather what the stimulus author believes is a parallel example.

I do not see how you inferred that the changes complained of from oral culture to the spread of literacy did not occur; I think the implication from reading the argument as a whole is that those changes did occur, but they simply were not the dramatic loss that the complaining parties believed that they would be.

Which brings us to the other problematic word in answer choice D: "unwarranted." The author is not using the older example (orality-to-literacy) to say that the changes feared by the current complainers (literary-to-electronic) won't occur, it's just that the ramifications of those changes are not going to be as bad as those complainers suggest.

I hope that is helpful, good luck in your studies!
Dan