Critical Reasoning

yes or no to question in E has opposite effects on the conclusion

conclusion: assumption (that computer use in free time rises-TV watching decreases) is false

yes: time on computer at work included=>free time to watch TV not affected=>the assumption is false=>strengthens conclusion

no: time on computer at work not included=>computer used in free time=>leaves less free time for TV watching=>supports the assumption=>weakens conclusion

scoobydooby wrote: no: time on computer at work not included=>computer used in free time=>leaves less free time for TV watching=>supports the assumption=>weakens conclusion

Hi Scooby,

For the case of No...

The given fact is that there is no change in TV viewership...as per survey....then how can we say that Computer usage tend to decrease the viewership....

note that there is no change in TV viewership....

Please tell what I am missing here.

Thanks
Mohit

Received a PM.

IMHO, there's a clear reason why E is the correct answer. Basically you have two types of computer usage:
- at work and does not affect free time
- at home and does affect free time, competing with other pass time activities (i.e. TV watching).

The reason why this distinction is important is because we mustn't compare apples to oranges. The only link between computer usage and TV watching refers to their "competition" for the user's free time. No matter how much you'd like to watch TV at work, that won't be possible, since you are supposed to be doing your job and you have to use the computer. You DON'T have a choice. While you're at home, you can either watch TV or play CS. You DO have a choice. There is a crucial difference here. "Popularity" is strictly related to choice: something is popular because many people choose it.

hi ... got this question in GMAT prep today...

someone said that its also in OG-12...and OA in og 12 is E

i marked E in gmat prep but got the question wrong...

Question is exactly the same..choices are same...

is there anty prob with E??

2010gmat wrote:hi ... got this question in GMAT prep today...

someone said that its also in OG-12...and OA in og 12 is E

i marked E in gmat prep but got the question wrong...

Question is exactly the same..choices are same...

is there anty prob with E??

Hi 2010gmat,

The OA is definitely E. If the OA is not E, then (I think) the OA is wrong.

The author's conclusion (main point) is that more computer usage in free time does not necessarily mean less TV watching.

The author's evidence is a mail survey which seems to suggest he is right. However, the survey is about increased computer usage; not increased computer usage in free time. This is a classic scope shift.

The author is assuming that a significant portion of the increase was not due to computer usage at work. If most of the increased computer usage was at work, then his argument would definitely be weakened. And if most of the computer usage was not at work (ie, was during free time), then his argument would definitely be strengthened. And that is exactly why choice E is correct.

What was the accredited response?

so we have wrong answers in gmat prep too!!!

OA is E...i think i need some rest...marked answer as E..got it right but then was not ready to accept that i am right .... need a good sleep

thnx for the nice explanation

Testluv wrote:

2010gmat wrote:hi ... got this question in GMAT prep today...

someone said that its also in OG-12...and OA in og 12 is E

i marked E in gmat prep but got the question wrong...

Question is exactly the same..choices are same...

is there anty prob with E??

Hi 2010gmat,

The OA is definitely E. If the OA is not E, then (I think) the OA is wrong.

The author's conclusion (main point) is that more computer usage in free time does not necessarily mean less TV watching.

The author's evidence is a mail survey which seems to suggest he is right. However, the survey is about increased computer usage; not increased computer usage in free time. This is a classic scope shift.

The author is assuming that a significant portion of the increase was not due to computer usage at work. If most of the increased computer usage was at work, then his argument would definitely be weakened. And if most of the computer usage was not at work (ie, was during free time), then his argument would definitely be strengthened. And that is exactly why choice E is correct.

What was the accredited response?

gmat_dest wrote:Should be E.

Answer to E if yes, strengthens the conclusion.
if no, weakens the conclusion.

All other choices are not affected in this way.

i think you are saying the opposite.
If the answer to the question is No, then the conclusion is strengthened.If the answer is Yes , then the conclusion remains as it is and nothing can be inferred

watching TV may be still constant- what if computer watching
alone increased?
So assumption is false based on reports.

Before going into answers, I was thinking What is needed?
1. What if no relation between watching more Compu vs TV?
2. What if more free time is used for Compu and TV remains const?

Lets go to answers:

A. No details abt comp..So lets pass
B. Doesnt consider the big picture
C. not type but time matters..pass
D. where is TV info? pass
E. means not at free time. This could be it!

IMO E

geet wrote:The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely expected to result in a decline in television viewing, since it had been assumed that people lack sufficient free time to maintain current television-viewing levels while spending increasing amounts of free time on the computer. That assumption, however, is evidently false: in a recent mail survey concerning media use, a very large majority of respondents who report increasing time spent per week using computers report no charge in time spent watching television.

Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in order to evaluate the argument?

A. Whether a large majority of the survey respondents reported watching television regularly
B. Whether the amount of time spent watching television is declining among people who report that they rarely or never use computers
C. Whether the type of television programs a person watches tends to change as the amount of time spent per week using computers increases
D. Whether a large majority of the computer owners in the survey reported spending increasing amounts of time per week using computers
E. Whether the survey respondents� reports of time spent using computers included time spent using computers at work


QA l8r...!!!

No Need of OA
Damn its E

as only this can clear the paradox why increasing use of computers didn't reduce the television viewership

as according to E if the time spend on computers is including their time being spend over computers in office time also then there might be no change in the television viership

hope this helps

Lets analyze:
Fact 1: Growing popularity if computer based activities will result in decline in TV viewing.
Fact 2: People lack free time to maintain same TV viewing levels with increased computer use.
Fact 3: Survey reports majority of respondents who have increasing time spent on computers have not decreased time watching TV.
Conclusion: The assumption that increasing computer time decreases TV time is false. If we see there are two parameters involved here, correctness of which can be questioned, TV time and Computer time(to repeat, relation that if Comp increases TV decreases).

Question: Seems like 'flaw in reasoning' type, with a twist.
Question appears different and will take more time to understand as only after reading answer choices it gives a clear picture what is actually being asked.

Let's see each answer choice:

A. If we determine this parameter (Whether a large majority of the survey respondents reported watching television regularly) it will not affect the argument(see conclusion). Watching TV regularly or non regularly is not in scope of question.

B. Question deals with time decline among people who have increased computer time, not decreased, this in no way will provide data to verify the conclusion.

C. Again an irrelevant parameter is being verified here, Type is out of question. It wont help verify the argument.

D. This option does not relate large computer time to TV time. Hence reject.

E. If time spent on computers at work by survey respondents is known we can verify how correct the conclusion is, as the argument expects computer to be replacing TV as a source of entertainment not work.

IMO E

Answer seems pretty clear. E it is.

E is the only answer and the best among it.

+1 E