Logical Reasoning

PT23 · S2 · Q17 Studies show that the most creative

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Studies show that the most creative engineers get their best and most useful ideas only after doodling and jotting down what turn out to be outlandish ideas.

Conclusion (these experts argue)

If computer programs for engineering work included simulated notepads that allowed engineers to pause "serious work" and type up outlandish ideas, then we would avoid the undesirable consequence of getting fewer creative and useful ideas.

Evidence

Most creative engineers get their best and most useful ideas only after doodling outlandish ideas. But now many engineers to their work with computers instead of on paper, so doodling is becoming much less common.

Evaluate

This argument consists of a Plan and a Goal. The goal is to replicate the experience of doodling crazy ideas on paper, as a way to get the creative juices flowing that lead to really useful ideas.

The plan is to essentially put a doodle pad into the computer.

The author, of course, needs to assume that her Plan would achieve her Goal: being able to pause serious work and type up outlandish ideas would allow engineers to unlock those same creative juices.

When an argument contains a Plan, the author is usually assuming - it's feasible - people will be motivated/willing to take part - it doesn't backfire in a way that impedes the goal - it addresses a key source of the problem

If the conclusion had said, "We must do this plan", then the author would also be assuming . But this argument didn't say we must do this.

If the conclusion were just saying, "We should do this plan", then we would have to weigh all the pros against all the cons. But if a conclusion is just saying, as this one is, "Doing X would achieve Thing Y", then other pros and cons are out of scope.

Goal

We should probably look for answers like - it's feasible that they could use this simulated notepad to get the same creative results - they would be willing to use this simulated notepad - this plan wouldn't screw up some other thing that contributes to creative ideas (like maybe staring even longer at a screen gives them headaches, which ultimately impede creative thinking)

17.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the experts’ reasoning depends?

Most creative engineers who work
Too Specific: most / as much
The word "most" is wrong in Necessary Assumption 99% of the time we see it. An argument almost never needs something to be true more than 50% of the time, unless the conclusion is specifically talking about "probably / likely / usually / in most cases". When you negate an answer choice about "most", you go from saying something is true "at least 51% of the time" to saying it's true "at most 50% of the time". That's a pretty hair-splitting difference, and almost no arguments hinge on that distinction. The other overly precise part of this answer is saying that doodle time = serious work The author never compared the quantity of time spent doing one vs. the other. We have no reason to think she assumes an equal amount of time is spent on both.
2% picked this
Simulated notepads would not be
Too Strong: not for anything else
It's not necessary to the author's plan that these simulated notepads are only used for outlandish ideas. If engineers occasionally used the notepads to type up everyone's requests from Starbucks, that would not hurt the author's plan.
7% picked this
No engineers who work with
Too Strong: none
The author doesn't need to assume that ZERO engineers who work with computers have paper and pencil nearby. She that "doodling is becoming much less common", not that "doodling is now extinct".
17% picked this
Correct
The physical act of working
Why this is right
On Necessary Assumption, we're super-attracted to answers that are ruling out an idea using "no / not". We want to negate them and see if they turn into an Objection. Would it hurt the argument to say, the physical act of working on paper is essential in providing engineers with the benefits of doodling ? Yes, that badly weakens the argument. It sounds like the Plan won't achieve its Goal, since a simulated notepad where you type is an inadequate substitute for the tangible activity working on paper, and that tangible contact with the paper is necessary to unlock the creative juices. If you hate negating, think of it like this --- the author assumes her Plan will work, right? She assumes that using simulated notepads will be able to achieve the same sort of creative brainstorming that doodling did. So she is assuming "it doesn't matter whether you type up outlandish ideas or jot them down on paper. Both will get creative juices going. The physical act of using paper isn't necessary to provide the creative benefits."
Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
69% picked this
Most of the outlandish ideas
Too Specific: most
As we said with (A), the word "most" is wrong on Necessary Assumption 99% of the time we see it. Would it really make a difference to the author whether at least 51% of ideas got implemented later vs. only 50% of ideas? Of course not. Another big problem with this answer is that the author was never assuming that outlandish ideas themselves are useful in practical applications. She was saying engineers only get their useful / practically applicable ideas after doodling outlandish ideas that never see the light of day. So she wasn't even necessarily assuming that any outlandish ideas are later put into practice.
4% picked this

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