BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Assumption

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 324
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:29 am
Thanked: 17 times
Followed by:1 members

Assumption

by rahul.s » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:30 am
Most people who betray their country through some form of espionage are driven by irrational desires to feel powerful or important, to seek revenge, or even to take risks. If these people were thinking rationally, they would not be involved in such self-destructive behavior.

The argument above rests on which of the following assumptions?

A) Self-destruction is the most frequent result of espionage.
B) The desire to feel powerful is always irrational.
C) Those involved in espionage do not have rational reasons for their behavior.
D) Espionage is rarely a successful way to gain revenge.
E) Risk-taking is a less frequent motivation for espionage than the desire to feel important.

OA: C
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 758
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:32 pm
Location: Bangalore,India
Thanked: 67 times
Followed by:2 members

by sumanr84 » Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:06 am
The Q stem does give us reasons for espionage ( adding to my word-list:- The systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets) but it does not discuss how strong one reason is placed over the other reason.

So, we can eliminate A and E straight-away.

B - Too strong language ( 'always', not mentioned in the passage though )
D - Espionage is driven by revenge but nothing related to success/failure is mentioned in the passage
C - Best Answer
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:18 pm
Location: Hyderabad
Thanked: 12 times

by vijay_venky » Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:16 pm
Question

P1. Most people (who betray their country through some form of espionage)--> are driven by irrational desires
P2. (CCLN) if these people rational--> No such behavior (self-destructive)

because we are talking about the assumption question, I will try solving this question by logically negating the choices and trying to find the weakening statement.

A- The logically opposite at best does not have an effect on the argument.
B- the negation states that desire to feel powerful is not always irrational, which is present in the argument itself so does not attack the argument.
C- the negation says those(involved in espionage) do have rational reasons for their behavior. this is where the argument falls apart. So this should be the answer
D- the frequency of espionage is not in the scope of the answer
E- comparison does not come in to the purview of the argument.

So, option C is the best.
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 777
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 4:02 am
Location: Mumbai, India
Thanked: 117 times
Followed by:47 members

by komal » Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:52 am
rahul.s wrote:Most people who betray their country through some form of espionage are driven by irrational desires to feel powerful or important, to seek revenge, or even to take risks. If these people were thinking rationally, they would not be involved in such self-destructive behavior.

The argument above rests on which of the following assumptions?

The conclusion shows Cause Effect Relationship

Cause : Think Rationally
Effect : To not get involved in self destructive behaviour (Espionage)

Since this is an assumption question, the correct answer choice will follow the causal relationship. Lets see which one does :

A) Self-destruction is the most frequent result of espionage.
INCORRECT : Irrelevant. Issue is not about result of espionage, it is about reasons of espionage.

B) The desire to feel powerful is always irrational.
INCORRECT : This has no impact on the conclusion whatsoever.

C) Those involved in espionage do not have rational reasons for their behavior.
CORRECT : Yes !! .. This is what we are looking for. If we negate this answer choice (Those involved in espionage HAVE rational reasons for their behavior) it completely destroys the argument. Since this answer choice passes the negation technique I pick this one.

D) Espionage is rarely a successful way to gain revenge.
INCORRECT : Does nothing to impact the cause effect relationship of the conclusion.

E) Risk-taking is a less frequent motivation for espionage than the desire to feel important.
CORRECT : Out of scope. We are certainly not looking at which desire is more or less frequent motivation for espionage.
Last edited by komal on Mon Feb 01, 2010 1:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 2326
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:54 am
Thanked: 173 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:710

by gmatmachoman » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:05 am
komal wrote:
C) Those involved in espionage do not have rational reasons for their behavior.
CORRECT : Yes !! .. This is what we are looking for. If we negate this answer choice (Those involved in espionage HAVE rational reasons for their behavior) it completely destroy the argument. Since this answer choice passes the negation technique I pick this one.

Good reasoning. Use Kaplan Denial Test to solve Causal Reasoning based assumption Questions.
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1