Flawed Reasoning

[800GMAT]

Yolanda: Gaining access to computers without
authorization and manipulating the data and
programs they contain is comparable to joyriding
in stolen cars; both involve breaking into private
property and treating it recklessly. Joyriding,
however, is the more dangerous crime because it
physically endangers people, whereas only
intellectual property is harmed in the case of
computer crimes.
Arjun: I disagree! For example, unauthorized use of
medical records systems in hospitals could
damage data systems on which human lives
depend, and therefore computer crimes also
cause physical harm to people.

The reasoning in Arjun’s response is flawed because he
(A) fails to maintain a distinction made in Yolanda’s
argument
(B) denies Yolanda’s conclusion without providing
evidence against it
(C) relies on the actuality of a phenomenon that he
has only shown to be possible
(D) mistakes something that leads to his conclusion
for something that is necessary for his
conclusion
(E) uses as evidence a phenomenon that is
inconsistent with his own conclusion

[nauman]

I think A

[Prasanna]

Stuck between C and D. Would go for C. Whats the OA?

[800GMAT]

Prasanna, can u pls explain how did u arrive at C??
Thnkx

[RAGS]

option C was completly rejected by me
It says that he relies on the actuality of the phenomena. Come to think of it even Yolanda depends on the actuality. And what is the phenomena we r talking about. An example may be better word to describe it.

Please post OA

[Prasanna]

I was not fully convinced with my choice too. But of the choices I thought only C or D could be the correct ones. If I were facing this question in the exam, I would have gone with C or D (though not happy).

May be I am making a mistake here.

Please post OA with explanations.

[Sadowski]

I chose C because while his example is a possibility, it doesn't happen in every case of computer crime which is his final conclusion. He says:

"...and therefore computer crimes also cause physical harm to people."

He's relying on the actuality of every computer crime leading to the damage of hospital records systems, which obviously can't be the case.

If he said "...computer crimes can cause physical harm to people" then he's mentioning it only as an example of one way that computer crimes could physically endanger someone's life.

[800GMAT]

The OA is C....Thanks for the reasoning Sadowski.....I dont have an OE on this one...

[Prasanna]

I got that right. Hope the luck stays till the actual exams

[mankey]

Can someone please provide a better reasoning to this question?

Thanks.

[mankey]

Can someone please provide a better explanation to this one?

Thanks.

[nidhis.1408]

whats wrong with D?
"mistakes something that leads to his conclusion
for something that is necessary for his
conclusion "
I think he gave a specific example which proved his point but he deviated from the real comparison made by the other person.

[GMATGuruNY]

Yolanda: Gaining access to computers without
authorization and manipulating the data and
programs they contain is comparable to joyriding
in stolen cars; both involve breaking into private
property and treating it recklessly. Joyriding,
however, is the more dangerous crime because it
physically endangers people, whereas only
intellectual property is harmed in the case of
computer crimes.
Arjun: I disagree! For example, unauthorized use of
medical records systems in hospitals could
damage data systems on which human lives
depend, and therefore computer crimes also
cause physical harm to people.

The reasoning in Arjun�s response is flawed because he
(A) fails to maintain a distinction made in Yolanda�s
argument
(B) denies Yolanda�s conclusion without providing
evidence against it
(C) relies on the actuality of a phenomenon that he
has only shown to be possible
(D) mistakes something that leads to his conclusion
for something that is necessary for his
conclusion
(E) uses as evidence a phenomenon that is
inconsistent with his own conclusion

Arjun's premise: Unauthorized use of medical records systems in hospitals COULD damage data systems.
Arjun's conclusion: Computer crimes CAUSE physical harm to people.
Arjun's assumption: that what COULD happen (damage to the data systems) actually DOES happen.

Answer choice C states this assumption: [Arjun's response] relies on the actuality of a phenomenon that he has only shown to be possible.

The correct answer is C.