Logical Reasoning

PT123 · S2 · Q10 Double-blind techniques should be used

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Double-blind techniques should be used whenever possible in scientific experiments.

Conclusion (should = opinion)

Double-blind techniques should be used whenever possible in scientific experiments.

Evidence (and = connects 2 supporting ideas)

Double-blind techniques help prevent the misinterpretations that often arise due to expectations and opinions that scientists already hold.

Scientists should be extremely diligent in trying to avoid such misinterpretations.

Evaluate

Whenever we're doing Main Conclusion (or Role) we remind ourselves that 90% of the time we'll be looking at an Upside Down Argument, in which we first hear the conclusion and THEN hear the supporting evidence.

Specifically, the conclusion usually shows up as the very first claim, or it shows up as a Pivot / Rebuttal claim after an opening attribution or background idea.

This paragraph began with an opinionated claim, signified by "should". The author is expressing this opinion, so this could very well be the conclusion! We now read the the rest of the paragraph, asking ourselves,

And it turns out, yes!

The author tells us that we should use double-blinds because we should be diligently avoiding misinterpretations that come from preconceived notions and that double-blinds help us prevent those misinterpretations.

The final claim of this paragraph is baiting us into thinking that IT is the conclusion, because it uses the opinion indicators "clearly" and "should". But there's no support provided for this claim, so we know it can't be a Conclusion. And this claim is paired, via "And", with the second claim, which tells us that the 2nd and 3rd claim work together to support the 1st claim.

Goal

We just want the best meaning match for the first sentence, which is our Conclusion.

10.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

  1. Scientists’ objectivity may be impeded

    Inference Bait

    The argument never even talks about "objectivity". We don't want to pick any new unstated ideas. This answer is essentially baiting us with an idea we could potentially derive from the 2nd claim.

    4% picked this

  2. Correct

    It is advisable for scientists

    Why this is right

    This best paraphrases the argument's first claim.

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

    64% picked this

  3. Scientists sometimes neglect to adequately

    Unstated

    We don't want to pick anything unstated (if the Conclusion is explicit, which it will be 98% of the time). The paragraph never talks about scientists neglecting to adequately consider risk.

    2% picked this

  4. Whenever possible, scientists should refrain

    Premise / Last-Claim Bait

    This is the 3rd claim. While the last claim will be the conclusion in about 10% of Main Conclusion questions, we should be pretty skeptical when we see ourselves picking something that matches the final claim, since 90% of the time it will be wrong.

    5% picked this

  5. Double-blind experimental techniques are often

    Unstated / Too Strong: "ensuring"

    Clearly, the author is a fan of double-blind and would probably say that these techniques help us to avoid misinterpretations (which could be rephrased as "help us to maintain objectivity"). But our job here isn't to pick an answer that makes a claim that the author would probably agree with (although "ensuring objectivity" seems pretty strong, even for that task). Our job is to pick an answer that matches the actual conclusion. The first sentence was our conclusion, and it doesn't say anything about scientific objectivity. It just says to use double-blind techniques as much as possible, so we want an answer to just regurgitate that meaning.

    25% picked this

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