Logical Reasoning

PT106 · S1 · Q10 It is a principle of economics

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It is a principle of economics that a nation can experience economic growth only when consumer confidence is balanced with a small amount of consumer skepticism.

Principle

only when is the same as "only if", which always introduces a necessary (Right side) idea.

So as written, this would say:

nation experiences → consumer confidence economic growth balanced w/ small amt of consumer skepticism

Usually, they like to test us on the contrapositives of Principles, so writing it that way would look like this:

not the case that nation won't consumer confidence → experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth

Goal

Find an answer that conforms to this principle. We only have the power to prove that a nation won't experience growth (we can only prove the stuff on the right side of the principle), so we might see some trap answers trying to prove that a nation will experience economic growth.

10.

Which one of the following is an application of the economic principle above?

  1. Any nation in which consumer

    Illegal Reversal

    The word "any" indicates the left side idea, so at a glance we can see that this answer is going to say, any nation that's ? will experience blah blah blah economic growth As we warned ourselves, the rule has no power to prove that economic growth will happen, only that it won't happen. not the case that nation won't consumer confidence ? experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth This answer is actually just an illegal reversal of the principle itself.

    25% picked this

  2. Any nation in which the

    Bad Outcome Match

    The word "any" indicates the left side idea, so at a glance we can see that this answer is going to say, any nation that's ? will experience blah blah blah economic growth As we warned ourselves, the rule has no power to prove that economic growth will happen, only that it won't happen. not the case that nation won't consumer confidence ? experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth

    1% picked this

  3. Any nation in which the

    Bad Outcome Match

    The word "any" indicates the left side idea, so at a glance we can see that this answer is going to say, any nation that's ? will experience blah blah blah economic growth The rule has no power to prove that economic growth will happen, only that it won't happen. not the case that nation won't consumer confidence ? experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth

    0% picked this

  4. Correct

    Any nation in which the

    Why this is right

    Amazingly, this is the only answer that puts "will not experience growth" on the right side, so that shortcut will get us all the way to the correct answer here. The contrapositive of the rule, as stated, looks like this: not the case that nation won't consumer confidence ? experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth In a nation where the prevailing attitude is exclusively confidence, then it's not the case that consumer confidence is balanced with a small amount of skepticism. Thus, the nation won't experience economic growth.

    Skill tested: Principle-Conform · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    72% picked this

  5. Any nation in which consumer

    Bad Outcome Match

    The word "any" indicates the left side idea, so at a glance we can see that this answer is going to say, any nation that's ? will experience blah blah blah economic growth The rule has no power to prove that economic growth will happen, only that it won't happen. not the case that nation won't consumer confidence ? experience balanced w/ small amount economic of consumer skepticism growth

    2% picked this

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