Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Someone claims that being attacked in political ads is actually a good thing because most people who win their elections were attacked in those ads.
Conclusion: Negative advertising actually benefits the political candidates who are its targets.
Reasoning: Most winners of elections have been the targets of negative advertising campaigns.
Analysis: This argument is a classic example of confusing correlation with causation. It observes that winners are often targets of negative ads and concludes that the ads helped them win, rather than considering that winners are targeted because they are the frontrunners. It's like saying that wearing a target on your back makes you a faster runner just because the people in the lead are the ones everyone is trying to catch. Look for an answer choice where a common characteristic of a successful group is incorrectly identified as the cause of that success.
Conclusion: Negative advertising actually benefits the political candidates who are its targets.
Reasoning: Most winners of elections have been the targets of negative advertising campaigns.
Analysis: This argument is a classic example of confusing correlation with causation. It observes that winners are often targets of negative ads and concludes that the ads helped them win, rather than considering that winners are targeted because they are the frontrunners. It's like saying that wearing a target on your back makes you a faster runner just because the people in the lead are the ones everyone is trying to catch. Look for an answer choice where a common characteristic of a successful group is incorrectly identified as the cause of that success.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage7.The pattern of flawed reasoning in the argument most closely parallels that in which one of the following?
Correct Answer
B
It matches the pattern: concluding that harsh reviews help actors’ careers because most prestigious awards have gone to actors who have had performances reviewed harshly. That mirrors the original’s move from “most winners had X” to “X benefits,” committing the same correlation→causation error and ignoring that standouts are disproportionately targeted/criticized.
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