Critical Reasoning

Drug manufacturer: Television audiences are sure to realize that the "physician" recommending our brand of cough syrup in our advertisement is actually an actor playing a role. Hence they will not place undue trust in the advice given by this actor. Therefore, networks should relax their guidelines to permit our company to broadcast this advertisement.

Television executive: If the audience can tell that the actor is not a physician, then your advertisement need not have a physician figure recommending your product.

Which of the following is an argumentative strategy used by the television executive in response to the drug manufacturer?

A. Indicating that the reason the drug manufacturer offers for relaxing the guidelines conflicts with the manufacturer's presumed motive for presenting the image of a physician in the advertisement.

B. Asserting that the drug manufacturer's expressed desire to broadcast the advertisement is motivated by self-interest rather than by a genuine interest in the good of the audience.

C. Invoking subjective opinions concerning audience reaction to television advertisements as if those opinions constituted objective evidence.

D. Pointing out that the goals of the drug manufacturer's company differ from those of television networks.

E. Questioning the ability of the drug manufacturer to make any sweeping generalization about what the many different members of the audience may think.

OA : A

richachampion wrote:Drug manufacturer: Television audiences are sure to realize that the "physician" recommending our brand of cough syrup in our advertisement is actually an actor playing a role. Hence they will not place undue trust in the advice given by this actor. Therefore, networks should relax their guidelines to permit our company to broadcast this advertisement.

Television executive: If the audience can tell that the actor is not a physician, then your advertisement need not have a physician figure recommending your product.

Which of the following is an argumentative strategy used by the television executive in response to the drug manufacturer?

A. Indicating that the reason the drug manufacturer offers for relaxing the guidelines conflicts with the manufacturer's presumed motive for presenting the image of a physician in the advertisement.

B. Asserting that the drug manufacturer's expressed desire to broadcast the advertisement is motivated by self-interest rather than by a genuine interest in the good of the audience.

C. Invoking subjective opinions concerning audience reaction to television advertisements as if those opinions constituted objective evidence.

D. Pointing out that the goals of the drug manufacturer's company differ from those of television networks.

E. Questioning the ability of the drug manufacturer to make any sweeping generalization about what the many different members of the audience may think.

Why does the TV ad feature an actor playing a doctor?
Common sense tells us the reason:
Medical advice is more believable coming from a doctor -- even if that doctor is really only an actor -- than from a layman.

TV executive: If the audience can tell that the actor is not a physician, then your advertisement need not have a physician figure recommending your product.

The correct answer must MATCH the TV executive's response.

A: The reason the drug manufacturer offers for relaxing the guidelines (the red portion above) conflicts with the manufacturer's presumed motive for presenting the image of a physician in the advertisement (the presumed motive for the blue portion is to make the medical advice more believable).

The correct answer is A.