Critical Reasoning

Working shorter workweeks causes managers to feel less stress than does working longer workweeks. In addition, greater perceived control over one’s work life reduces stress levels. It can be concluded, therefore, that shorter workweeks cause managers to feel they have more control over their work life.
The argument made above uses which of the following questionable techniques?
(A) Associating two conditions as cause and effect on the basis of their being causally associated with the same phenomenon
(B) Taking for granted that two factors that have a certain effect individually produce that effect more strongly when both act together
(C) Assuming what it sets out to prove
(D) Using an irrelevant point in order to draw a conclusion
(E) Basing a conclusion on preconceived views about the needs of managers

Answer: A

Industrialists from the country Distopia were accused of promoting the Distopian intervention in the Arcadian civil war merely to insure that the industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits during the war. Yet this cannot be the motive since, as the Distopians foresaw, Distopia’s federal expenses for the intervention were eight billion dollars, whereas, during the war, profits from the Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia totaled only four billion dollars.

Which of the following, if true, exposes a serious flaw in the argument made in the second sentence above?
(A) During the Arcadian war, many Distopian industrialists with facilities located in Arcadia experienced a significant rise in productivity in their facilities located in Distopia.
(B) The largest proportion of Distopia’s federal expenses is borne by those who receive no significant industrial profits.
(C) Most Distopian industrialists’ facilities located in Arcadia are expected to maintain the level of profits they achieved during the war.
(D) Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits before the events that triggered the civil war.
(E) Many Distopians expressed concern over the suffering that Arcadians underwent during the civil war.

Answer: B

poonam197 wrote:Working shorter workweeks causes managers to feel less stress than does working longer workweeks. In addition, greater perceived control over one’s work life reduces stress levels. It can be concluded, therefore, that shorter workweeks cause managers to feel they have more control over their work life.
The argument made above uses which of the following questionable techniques?
(A) Associating two conditions as cause and effect on the basis of their being causally associated with the same phenomenon
(B) Taking for granted that two factors that have a certain effect individually produce that effect more strongly when both act together
(C) Assuming what it sets out to prove
(D) Using an irrelevant point in order to draw a conclusion
(E) Basing a conclusion on preconceived views about the needs of managers

Answer: A

Industrialists from the country Distopia were accused of promoting the Distopian intervention in the Arcadian civil war merely to insure that the industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits during the war. Yet this cannot be the motive since, as the Distopians foresaw, Distopia’s federal expenses for the intervention were eight billion dollars, whereas, during the war, profits from the Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia totaled only four billion dollars.

Which of the following, if true, exposes a serious flaw in the argument made in the second sentence above?
(A) During the Arcadian war, many Distopian industrialists with facilities located in Arcadia experienced a significant rise in productivity in their facilities located in Distopia.
(B) The largest proportion of Distopia’s federal expenses is borne by those who receive no significant industrial profits.
(C) Most Distopian industrialists’ facilities located in Arcadia are expected to maintain the level of profits they achieved during the war.
(D) Distopian industrialists’ facilities in Arcadia made substantial profits before the events that triggered the civil war.
(E) Many Distopians expressed concern over the suffering that Arcadians underwent during the civil war.

Answer: B

1. The first problem is related to classic theory "Correlation does not imply causation":-

Work weeks is correlated to Stress.
Greater perceived control over work life is correlated to Stress.

This doesn't imply that Work weeks cause Greater perceived control over work life.

hence the answer.

2. Industries in Distopia were gaining substantial profits from the war in Arcadia. The profit from war was less than federal expense. If we can show that federal expense doesn't effect Industrialists then we can expose the flaw:-

A) Out of scope.
C) Maintaining level of profits is not related.
D) Past is irrelevant.
E) Out of scope.
B) It shows that cost borne for industrialist profit is going to be spend primarily by non-industrialists. Hence, the motive of the intervention was profit for industrialists.

1. [spoiler](A)[/spoiler]


2. The conclusion says that there was no benefit for the industrialists by promoting the Distopian intervention as the profit was lesser than the cost.

[spoiler](B)[/spoiler] talks about cost being availed by some other people who would not get much share from the profits. Obviously, this scenario would turn out to be beneficial for the industrialists as they would gain at someone else's expense. Hence it makes sense for them to promote the intervention.

1. The first problem is related to classic theory "Correlation does not imply causation":-

Work weeks is correlated to Stress.
Greater perceived control over work life is correlated to Stress.

First question --> reduced work weeks causes managers to feel less stressed. I see reduced work weeks and reduced stress levels have a causal relationship rather than correlation.

Am I missing something?

crackgmat007 wrote:

1. The first problem is related to classic theory "Correlation does not imply causation":-

Work weeks is correlated to Stress.
Greater perceived control over work life is correlated to Stress.

First question --> reduced work weeks causes managers to feel less stressed. I see reduced work weeks and reduced stress levels have a causal relationship rather than correlation.

Am I missing something?

I beg your pardon on this. You are right about the causation. But, according to the website https://stats.org/in_depth/faq/causation_correlation.htm

If one action causes another, then they are most certainly correlated.

Hence, I reduced the causation to correlation and then applied the "Correlation does not imply causation" theory.

Thanks much for the link. this helped clear my confusion...

I'm pretty confident that B is correct answer