Strengthen Flashcards
(13 cards)
T/F?
Strengthen answers must fully ( not partially) suppurt the conclusion
Speaking in numerical terms, any answer choice that strengthens the
argument, whether by 1% or by 100%, is correct
Strategy for strenghten questions
- Map the logical structure of the argument ie understand each sentence and the relationship with each other into a flow chart in your mind
- Identify the logical gap (missing link/info – assumption)- you goal is to find an answer that closes /bridges that gap or eliminates the weakness
- Personalise the argument—place yourself inside the situation and think how you would react. As soon as you do that in , the weakness in the argument becomes
apparent.
5 types of answer choices that strengthen a cause-effect reasoning
- Eliminate any alternate causes for the stated effect
- Show that when the cause occurs, the effect occurs
- Show that when the cause does not occur, the effect does not occur
- Eliminate the possibility that the stated relationship is reversed
- Show that the data used to make the causal statement is accurate, or
eliminate possible problems with the data.
What does these question stems tell me to do?
“The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following
is assumed?”
“Which one of the following, if assumed, would allow the conclusion to
be properly drawn?”
“Which one of the following, if true, enables the conclusion to be
properly drawn?”
“Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly inferred?”
“Which one of the following is an assumption that would serve to justify
the conclusion above?”
“The conclusion above is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed”
To justify the conclusion
To solve this type of question, apply the Justify Formula:
Premises + [Answer choice] = Conclusion.
Justify questions are perfect strengthening questions ie they MUST strengthen 100%: the correct answer will strengthen the argument so well that the conclusion MUST follow from the combination of the premises and the correct answer choice.
Tip to get tough questions right: the correct answers usually link new elements that occur in the premises or conclusion and ignore elements common to both.
Premise: A → B → C
Conclusion: A → D
Which if the following if true, enables the conclusion to be properly drawn?
a) B → D
b) C → D
C → D
B → D is incorrect it does not 100% justify the conclusion is correct.
T/F?
I should be skeptical of new information in Strengthen answer choices.
False
Strengthen (help-family) questions are famous for bringing in new information to help the argument.
T/F?
Which of the following if true, most helps to justify the conclusion =
Which of the following if true, justifies the conclusion
False
1st is a strengthen question - asks to strenthen either by 1% or 100% (clue - most)
2nd is a justify the conclusion question - asks to strengthen 100%. ( very direct, no most or strongly modifier)
common ways a correct answer strengthens an argument.
- Provides a premise to support the conclusion
- States an assumption upon which the argument depends
- Rules out a malicious variable
- Rules out an alternative cause or effect
- Confirms a conclusion by changing, adding or eliminating a variable.
T/F?
A strengthen answer choice that provides new information that explains a premise is correct.
False
Premise is already a fact. Since there is no way to strengthen a fact, there is no way to strengthen a premise we already know.
T/F?
whenever i come accross a passage, i do not always have to map out the logical structure like a flow chart in my head to have high accuracy
False!
ALWAYS map out the logical flow in your head using arrows.
This helps you understand the logical structure of the passage and identify the missing link.
Doing this requiress that you have understood each sentence, and how each sentence connects to the next , and also what the author of the passage is driving at.
Solving justify type questions where there are new elements.
Q- which of the following, if assumed, will enable the conclusion to be properly drawn.
-
Any “new” element in the conclusion will appear in the correct answer.
“New” or “rogue” elements are those that did not appear in any of the premises. By definition, any new element in the conclusion must be
proven to occur, and so if the new element is not in the premises then it must be introduced in the correct answer choice. -
Elements that are common to the conclusion and at least one premise normally do not appear in the correct answer.
If an element occurs in both the conclusion and premises, then there is a bridge already established that justifies the presence of the element in the conclusion. Hence, the correct answer need not contain this element. -
Elements that appear in the premises but not the conclusion usually appear in the correct answer.
Although these premise elements do not have to appear in the correct answer, they often do because they represent a convenient linking point.
In a nutshell, the rules condense to the following →** link new elements in the premises and conclusion and ignore elements common to both.**
Best advise for POE accuracy when you have 2-3 contenders that `could be right´
There are no varying degrees of how “good” an answer is on the CR portion. One answer is RIGHT and the other four are WRONG. If you go through the 5 choices and think that two or more “could” be right, then something is wrong. It means that you are missing a key nuance somewhere. Either in the prompt, the question, or the answer choice. When that happens, I usually start by rereading the choices I’m debating between. After that I reread the question, then I reread the prompt (assuming that you haven’t spotted the issue along the way). I give that order because I’ve found that for me personally, it breaks down like this. When I’m in that situation, about 60% of the time my error was in missing a nuance in the choices i’m debating between. About 30% of the time the error is in reading the other choices. And then about 10% of the time it’s from the question or the prompt.
what do you do?
POE Elimination when you do not see why 1 option is the answer after eliminating all four
Always always eliminate an answer ONLY because you have a CLEAR and Valid reason to do so!!
you can get an answer right purely by POE , as long as you are sure why you eliminated 1-4. Even if 5 feels wrong or you don´t understand how its right - as long as you do not see a reason to eliminate it, DO NOT ELiminate it! IT is the answer!!
