Logical Reasoning

PT131 · S1 · Q18 In a poll of a representative sample

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In a poll of a representative sample of a province's residents, the provincial capital was the city most often selected as the best place to live in that province.

Evidence

In a poll of a representative sample of a province's residents, the provincial capital was the city most often selected as the best place to live in that province.

The capital is also the largest of that province's many cities.

Conclusion

Most residents of the province generally prefer life in large cities to life in small cities.

Evaluate

There is a difference between a city being most often selected as the best place to live and being the place that most people prefer to live. The argument mistakes a plurality with a majority.

18.

The argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that it

  1. overlooks the possibility that what

    Out of Scope

    Other people are not relevant to the argument.

    4% picked this

  2. does not indicate whether most

    Out of Scope

    People in other provinces are not relevant to the argument.

    3% picked this

  3. takes for granted that when

    Not a Flaw

    One would expect people polled about their preferences to answer in a way that represents those preferences.

    10% picked this

  4. overlooks the possibility that the

    Wrong Flaw

    This points out an alternative reason why people chose the city they did, but it does so for the wrong group. The issue is whether people who chose the capital city preferred that city because it’s a large city.

    16% picked this

  5. Correct

    overlooks the possibility that most

    Why this is right

    This answer points out the possibility that the people who voted for small cities could have totaled a majority of the province's residents.

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

    67% picked this

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