Critical Reasoning

Source: Knewton

Correctly judging the best design for manufactured products can be a more complicated process than it might seem. Consider, for example, a certain motorcycle company: although the company's designers carefully checked to see that the colors and detailing were consistent for each of its products before releasing the new models, many customers nevertheless returned a certain motorcycle purchased from the company because they were dissatisfied with its design.

The problem implied regarding the company's quality evaluation process is based on doubts regarding which of the following statements?

(A) Color is the most important element of motorcycle design.
(B) The design of detailing is relevant to evaluating the design of the motorcycle.
(C) Motorcycles can be considered representative of manufactured products in general.
(D) Consistency is a sufficient criterion for evaluating the design of motorcycles
(E) It is more appropriate to evaluate the design of groups of manufactured products than to evaluate the design of individual items

OA D

Language of the stem makes the Q tougher than it really is. took me 3 min and 4 sec to answer this one

I am not getting whether it is a weaken/assumption/explain/other type of question.
Somebody please explain the type of question .

This is an assumption type of question - they are asking what the critics use to support their position.

The critics use the failure of the motorcycle company's check for consistency to show that judging design can be more complicated. thus you need a connection between consistency and judging design.

D provides this link becuase it links the premise and the conclusion.

A doesn't work because the passage isn't about most important.
B. doesn't work becuase the conclusion isn't actually about motorcycles.
C. doesn't work because the link isn't strong enough - just connecting motorcycles ot manufactured products doesn't get to the nature of the argument.

E. doesn't work becuase this isn't abut what is more appropriate.

Becky, assumption is a great way to look at the Q, however i thought this was an inference question.

May I take you through my thought process???

Step 1 - Analyze prompt

Situation 1: The company's designers carefully checked to see that the colors and detailing were consistent for each of its products before releasing the new models

Situation 2: Yet many customers returned the motorcycle

Evidence: They were dissatisfied with the design

I noted the slight scope shift (underlined portion) - company was checking for colors and detailing while customers were returning coz they had design issues..

Hence a prediction (conclusion) beckons - Checking for consistency in color and detailing is not enough for guaranteed customer satisfaction on design

Step 2 - Investigate options

A - Color is the most important element of motorcycle design - is too extreme - THRASH
B - The design of detailing is relevant to evaluating the design of the motorcycle - "design of detailing" mixes design and detailing - confusing choice...i'd say HOLD
C - Motorcycles can be considered representative of manufactured products in general - i like the wordings (typical CR) but totally irrelevant - THRASH
D - Consistency is a sufficient criterion for evaluating the design of motorcycles - Again, i don't like this option..coz it does not link "design" and "color"....option is kinda generic, yet the idea of consistency is relevant - HOLD
E - It is more appropriate to evaluate the design of groups of manufactured products than to evaluate the design of individual items - THRASH


Step 3 - Choose

I was stuck between B and D but picked D for the word "consistency"

I know identifying the Q family is not as important as getting the answer right- but i would love to know whether this is an assumption Q or an inference Q....i am confused, please help.....Tx

Becky,

I am also confused how it is an assumption question.
See the language :
The problem implied regarding the company's quality evaluation process is based on doubts regarding which of the following statements?

I thought that it is a weakening problem.
Can you please break up the above statement, or write it in a simple wording to show that it is an assumption question.

The wording on this problem is difficult but the problem is basically the conclusion to the argument. "correctly judging design can be more complicated" thus the quesiton is asking what is the conclusion based on. Further becuase it asks for doubts regarding one of the statements it is asking for information beyond the argument itself. This is how I got to the fact that it is an assumption. Although I understand your reasoning for inference, I don't believe it is an inference because it isn't asking what was said in the argument but for which statement is in doubt. Inference is more about what we absolutely know to be true from the argument.


D is the better answer because it says they looked for consistency but people were nonetheless dissatisfied.

One of the time consuming problem tht i have seen lately.

Nice explanation.

viidyasagar wrote:Source: Knewton

Correctly judging the best design for manufactured products can be a more complicated process than it might seem. Consider, for example, a certain motorcycle company: although the company's designers carefully checked to see that the colors and detailing were consistent for each of its products before releasing the new models, many customers nevertheless returned a certain motorcycle purchased from the company because they were dissatisfied with its design.

The problem implied regarding the company's quality evaluation process is based on doubts regarding which of the following statements?

(A) Color is the most important element of motorcycle design.
(B) The design of detailing is relevant to evaluating the design of the motorcycle.
(C) Motorcycles can be considered representative of manufactured products in general.
(D) Consistency is a sufficient criterion for evaluating the design of motorcycles
(E) It is more appropriate to evaluate the design of groups of manufactured products than to evaluate the design of individual items

OA D

Language of the stem makes the Q tougher than it really is. took me 3 min and 4 sec to answer this one

Yes it is an assumption question. Nice problem and nice explanation.

What if choice A were like "Color is the important element of motorcycle design.",Will it not be a contender of being right ?

I first got stuck on A because color is shown to be an element of design. But later I found that so is detailing and A talks only about one element which is completely baseless. Another assumption could have been

It is an inference kind of question.

@ramprakaashk
As said in earlier comments it is an assumption type of question and not inference kind

ramprakaashk wrote:It is an inference kind of question.