Critical Reasoning

Automobile manufacturer: Recently developed defect-detection systems, although not yet proven to be completely accurate, should be purchased immediately for our plants. Automated inspections will help assembly-line workers detect flaws in materials.

Employee representative: Plants will not benefit from inadequately tested defect-detection systems. Failures in those systems could mislead the workers using them, allowing flaws to go undetected.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the employee representative's objection?


Any automated system, no matter how rigorously tested, is susceptible to malfunction.

An automated packing system was successfully introduced by the manufacturer with only minimal testing.

Even though the new system will help detect some flaws, the probable system failures will cause even more flaws to go undetected.

Many flaws are missed due to the high stress levels experienced by assembly-line workers.

Defect-detection systems as they are currently used are more effective at detecting flaws in finished products than they are in raw materials.


Not convinced with OA. Experts please shed light.

IMO D

If workers are missing flaws due to high level of stress, then failure of such automated systems would allow further flaws to go undetected.

Experts, please explain.

I'd have to go with (C) on this one.



What's the OA and source?


Thanks!

with C
oa??

oa is C, but if A is true, dont you think, it strengthens the most!

source: either princeton or kaplan.....sorry forgot which one was it.

Gaurav 2013-fall wrote:oa is C, but if A is true, dont you think, it strengthens the most!

source: either princeton or kaplan.....sorry forgot which one was it.

Any automated system, no matter how rigorously tested, is susceptible to malfunction.

the word susceptible indicates the likelihood, which includes both the cases: it may malfunction or not. Also its a general statement tangential to the argument.

hence its not the best strengthener here in presence of option C.

hope this helps..!!

I don't think "susceptible" is the reason to eliminate (A). Choice (C) uses "probable" system failures and it is the correct choice. In choice (A), any automate system...the word "any" means any automated system in the whole wide world and that is not the case here. We are talking about one specific system.


Hope this helps.

Birottam Dutta wrote:IMO D

If workers are missing flaws due to high level of stress, then failure of such automated systems would allow further flaws to go undetected.

Experts, please explain.

I will go with C.
D is incorrect because
high level of stress --> miss flaws
advent of new system --> bring down stress level --> find more flaws (D is the opposite answer. It weakens the conclusion)
I am not an expert!! Please correct me if my above reasoning is wrong.

ice_rush wrote:I don't think "susceptible" is the reason to eliminate (A). Choice (C) uses "probable" system failures and it is the correct choice. In choice (A), any automate system...the word "any" means any automated system in the whole wide world and that is not the case here. We are talking about one specific system.


Hope this helps.

Ice rush,

Any is the super set of one system! That is, one system belongs to any. So, A is a good strengthener. Also, C is restating what the employee's rep is saying. Please throw some more light.

hmm..I m not too familiar with formal logic, but on closer inspection of (A) - I think it might be weakening the argument. If any automated system, after rigorous testing, is susceptible to malfunction then the employee rep's argument is pretty much garbage. Because no matter what system they incorporate in their plant - that system is prone to malfunction and employee rep's argument does not hold true, hence weakened -- This is another reason for eliminating (A) apart from the one i mentioned earlier.

choice (C) is NOT restating what employee rep says. Notice the words in (C)...the probable system failures will cause even more flaws to go undetected --> by showing that the system will cause even more flaws to go undetected is exactly what we need to strengthen the argument.

Hope this helps!

Gaurav 2013-fall wrote:

ice_rush wrote:I don't think "susceptible" is the reason to eliminate (A). Choice (C) uses "probable" system failures and it is the correct choice. In choice (A), any automate system...the word "any" means any automated system in the whole wide world and that is not the case here. We are talking about one specific system.


Hope this helps.

Ice rush,

Any is the super set of one system! That is, one system belongs to any. So, A is a good strengthener. Also, C is restating what the employee's rep is saying. Please throw some more light.

Employee: Plants will not benefit from inadequately tested defect-detection systems.

A: Any automated system, no matter how rigorously tested, is susceptible to malfunction.

Employee is not against *any* defect-detection system. Employee's main contention is that the proposed defect-detection system will not benefit since it is inadequately tested. If it were thoroughly tested, he *might* change his stance. A is implying ANY automated system will malfunction, no matter how rigorously tested. The option A is indeed a weakener.

IMO - C

I cant choose between A and C .

Let's see if I can dispel any doubt on this question .



(A) Any automated system, no matter how rigorously tested, is susceptible to malfunction.

This answer choice is too general. We want an answer choice that focuses on the proposed defect-detection systems (DDS). Anyhow, the argument that the employee representative is making isn't, "We don't want your DDS because it is an automated system." He is specifically saying that workers will come to rely too heavily on the DDS, so that in the instance that it breaks down many flaws will go undetected.

(B) An automated packing system was successfully introduced by the manufacturer with only minimal testing.

Doesn't really relate to the argument.

(C) Even though the new system will help detect some flaws, the probable system failures will cause even more flaws to go undetected.

This answer choice directly backs up what the employee representative is saying: we don't want the DDS because, in the instance that it fails, workers will not know, and many flaws will go undetected. Unlike (A), the worry is not that any old system can conceivably break down, but that the DDS specifically is likely to lead to more flaws that it is to catch flaws, if it happens to fail. THE ANSWER.

(D) Many flaws are missed due to the high stress levels experienced by assembly-line workers.

Great! Let's bring in the DDS. This answer does the exact opposite of what we want: to strengthen the representative's argument.

(E) Defect-detection systems as they are currently used are more effective at detecting flaws in finished products than they are in raw materials.

Out of scope: the argument never mentions raw materials vs. finished products.