supporting the conclusions vs assumptions

beingAndNothing wrote:There are examples I've seen that the correct answer for strengthening the assumption is eliminating a cause and effect or alternate paths for the same effect.
Now this is also true for questions where we're asked to find the assumptions (MGMAT). Am I missing something in the questions or is this true? I'll post an example later.

thanks.

Are you sure that it's only eliminating a cause.

It might be that by doing so it is indirectly strengthening the assumption too.

TKNeo:

Thanks for the reply. Sometimes I think the correct answer is actually finding the assumption. Assumptions are usually unstated in the question. Take a look at this one.


Question 7
The local high school students have been clamoring for the freedom to design their own curricula. Allowing this would be as disastrous as allowing three-year-olds to choose their own diets. These students have neither the maturity nor the experience to equal that of the professional educators now doing the job.

Which of the following statements, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

(A) High school students have less formal education than those who currently design the curricula.
(B) Three-year-olds do not, if left to their own devices, choose healthful diets.
(C) The local high school students are less intelligent than the average teenager.
(D) Individualized curricula are more beneficial to high school students than are the standard curricula, which are rigid and unresponsive to their particular strengths and weaknesses.
(E) The ability to design good curricula develops only after years of familiarity with educational life.


The correct answer is E, which I think is an assumption to get to the conclusion. So in this case is this really strengthening the
assumption.

thanks.

Hi BeingandNothing,
In general, if an assumption were true it would strengthen the argument. Remember that an assumption could either be true or false, the argument simply assumes it to be true. In other words if an assumption were proven to be false that assumption would therefore weaken the argument

In the question stated above, I would've eliminated A,C, and D for the following reasons: already stated, irrelevant, and weakens the argument. Of the remaining two "B" draws a comparison that if true would strengthen but also the comparison maybe unfounded. "E" on the other hand states, as you rightly pointed out, an assumption that, if true, would strengthen the conclusion.

parore has explained the point in a nicer way....

Usually the answer choice won't simply say the "assumption is correct".. it would indirectly say something that would just make one believe a little more in the assumption... It still might not be enough but that's ok.. All we are doing is strengthening it...

parore26, I have a question here! Frankly speaking, I chose A and E to be the best answer but gave preference A to E. Because, A is saying something which is quite true and does not showing any irrelevant information. I admit that E is much more general than A. But still why did you chose E not A? Any other response ...

camitava wrote:parore26, I have a question here! Frankly speaking, I chose A and E to be the best answer but gave preference A to E. Because, A is saying something which is quite true and does not showing any irrelevant information. I admit that E is much more general than A. But still why did you chose E not A? Any other response ...

The argument says one must have maturity or experience that educators have, in order to design a cirricula.

A talks about formal education, which is out of scope.

"Familiarity with educationali life" is much more closer to the experience, so E.

Hope that helps!

I'd say E but I'm afraid more because of my intuition than any logic.