- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Wed May 10, 2017 4:32 pm
#34708
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
In this example the author discusses companies that make tea with ginseng. Because these companies
Market their products as providing stress relief, many people buy the products in the hopes of
deriving health benefits. Based on the lack of definitive scientific proof, the author concludes that the
marketing claims of stress relief are false:
Since the stimulus’ reasoning is invalid, you might have correctly predicted the appearance of a Flaw
in the Reasoning question. The flaw, as discussed, is in the author’s concluding that the marketing
claims are false based solely on the lack of scientific study.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes an ad hominem attack—an attack on the source,
rather than on the merits, of the argument. Since this is not the flaw present in the author’s argument,
this cannot be the correct answer choice.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As prephrased, the author concludes that the
marketing claims are false, based on no evidence but the lack of scientific proof.
Answer choice (C): The author only discusses “several” companies, making no claim that the
problem is widespread. Since the argument is limited to the companies that make the referenced
claims, this choice does not represent the author’s flaw.
Answer choice (D): The prospect that people might buy the herbal teas for other reasons is not
relevant to the author’s argument, which is that the companies’ claims regarding ginseng and stress
relief are false.
Answer choice (E): The author asserts that the companies’ claims about ginseng are false, so the
possible presence of other, counteracting ingredients does not need to be considered, and this choice
does not deal with the flaw found in the stimulus.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
In this example the author discusses companies that make tea with ginseng. Because these companies
Market their products as providing stress relief, many people buy the products in the hopes of
deriving health benefits. Based on the lack of definitive scientific proof, the author concludes that the
marketing claims of stress relief are false:
- Premise: Several companies have successfully marketed their ginseng teas with claims
that the ginseng can provide stress relief.
Premise: Yet there is no conclusive scientific proof that ginseng promotes stress relief.
Conclusion: Therefore the claims that ginseng can provide stress relief are false.
Since the stimulus’ reasoning is invalid, you might have correctly predicted the appearance of a Flaw
in the Reasoning question. The flaw, as discussed, is in the author’s concluding that the marketing
claims are false based solely on the lack of scientific study.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes an ad hominem attack—an attack on the source,
rather than on the merits, of the argument. Since this is not the flaw present in the author’s argument,
this cannot be the correct answer choice.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As prephrased, the author concludes that the
marketing claims are false, based on no evidence but the lack of scientific proof.
Answer choice (C): The author only discusses “several” companies, making no claim that the
problem is widespread. Since the argument is limited to the companies that make the referenced
claims, this choice does not represent the author’s flaw.
Answer choice (D): The prospect that people might buy the herbal teas for other reasons is not
relevant to the author’s argument, which is that the companies’ claims regarding ginseng and stress
relief are false.
Answer choice (E): The author asserts that the companies’ claims about ginseng are false, so the
possible presence of other, counteracting ingredients does not need to be considered, and this choice
does not deal with the flaw found in the stimulus.