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- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Thu May 25, 2017 1:11 pm
#35365
Complete Question Explanation
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (C)
Patricia argues that most Japanese during the Tokugawa period did not fear ninjas. Tamara claims
that they did, and as evidence points to the way in which wealthy Japanese had their houses built at
that time—with intentionally squeaky floors to warn against ninja attacks.
Tamara’s counterargument is clearly flawed, because it generalizes from an unrepresentative sample.
If the wealthy represented a tiny fraction of the Japanese population during the Tokugawa period, we
cannot use their design choices to argue that most Japanese feared ninjas. Perhaps the wealthy were
unusually paranoid about ninja attacks, or maybe ninjas only targeted the wealthy. Either way, as
long as most of Japan’s population was not wealthy during the Tokugawa period, Tamara’s argument
uses evidence drawn from a small sample that may well be unrepresentative. Answer choice (C)
agrees with this prephrase, and provides the strongest counter Patricia can make to Tamara’s
objection.
When solving Weaken (or Strengthen) questions with multiple viewpoints, take care to identify
precisely whose conclusion you are expected to weaken (or strengthen). Not coincidentally, answer
choices (A) and (E) are both Opposite answers, weakening Patricia’s argument and strengthening
Tamara’s. This is because test-makers expect you to jump into the answer choices without
formulating a clear sense of whose argument you are supposed to weaken or strengthen, or that
you might lose track of that objective as you go down the list of answer choices. This is a common
psychometric trick you can easily avoid with a simple notation.
Answer choice (A): This is the Opposite answer, as it strengthens Tamara’s objection. If many poor
Japanese also had their houses constructed with intentionally squeaky floors, this would suggest that
the wealthy were not the only ones who feared ninjas. This corroborates Tamara’s conclusion that
most Japanese did fear ninjas, by broadening the sample upon which her conclusion is based.
Answer choice (B): Whether ninjas could walk on squeaky floors without making a sound is
irrelevant to this debate. The issue is whether most Japanese feared ninja attacks, not whether they
were able to successfully protect against them.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. As described above, if the wealthy made up
a small portion of Japan’s population during the Tokugawa period, then Tamara’s objection would be
based on a sample that is too small to be reliable.
Answer choice (D): How ninjas were regarded during the years following the Tokugawa period has
no bearing on the point at issue between Patricia and Tamara.
Answer choice (E): This is another Opposite answer. If the number of ninjas during the Tokugawa
was unusually high, this would counter Patricia’s observation that there was little ninja activity in
Japan during the Tokugawa period. Your job, however, is to undermine Tamara’s conclusion, not
Patricia’s.
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (C)
Patricia argues that most Japanese during the Tokugawa period did not fear ninjas. Tamara claims
that they did, and as evidence points to the way in which wealthy Japanese had their houses built at
that time—with intentionally squeaky floors to warn against ninja attacks.
Tamara’s counterargument is clearly flawed, because it generalizes from an unrepresentative sample.
If the wealthy represented a tiny fraction of the Japanese population during the Tokugawa period, we
cannot use their design choices to argue that most Japanese feared ninjas. Perhaps the wealthy were
unusually paranoid about ninja attacks, or maybe ninjas only targeted the wealthy. Either way, as
long as most of Japan’s population was not wealthy during the Tokugawa period, Tamara’s argument
uses evidence drawn from a small sample that may well be unrepresentative. Answer choice (C)
agrees with this prephrase, and provides the strongest counter Patricia can make to Tamara’s
objection.
When solving Weaken (or Strengthen) questions with multiple viewpoints, take care to identify
precisely whose conclusion you are expected to weaken (or strengthen). Not coincidentally, answer
choices (A) and (E) are both Opposite answers, weakening Patricia’s argument and strengthening
Tamara’s. This is because test-makers expect you to jump into the answer choices without
formulating a clear sense of whose argument you are supposed to weaken or strengthen, or that
you might lose track of that objective as you go down the list of answer choices. This is a common
psychometric trick you can easily avoid with a simple notation.
Answer choice (A): This is the Opposite answer, as it strengthens Tamara’s objection. If many poor
Japanese also had their houses constructed with intentionally squeaky floors, this would suggest that
the wealthy were not the only ones who feared ninjas. This corroborates Tamara’s conclusion that
most Japanese did fear ninjas, by broadening the sample upon which her conclusion is based.
Answer choice (B): Whether ninjas could walk on squeaky floors without making a sound is
irrelevant to this debate. The issue is whether most Japanese feared ninja attacks, not whether they
were able to successfully protect against them.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. As described above, if the wealthy made up
a small portion of Japan’s population during the Tokugawa period, then Tamara’s objection would be
based on a sample that is too small to be reliable.
Answer choice (D): How ninjas were regarded during the years following the Tokugawa period has
no bearing on the point at issue between Patricia and Tamara.
Answer choice (E): This is another Opposite answer. If the number of ninjas during the Tokugawa
was unusually high, this would counter Patricia’s observation that there was little ninja activity in
Japan during the Tokugawa period. Your job, however, is to undermine Tamara’s conclusion, not
Patricia’s.
