Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: An ad claims that all dentists think a certain toothpaste is the best because five dentists they talked to liked one of its ingredients.
Conclusion: The entire dental profession recognizes that brushing with Blizzard toothpaste is the most effective way to prevent cavities.
Reasoning: A tiny sample of five dentists agreed that a specific ingredient in the toothpaste is highly effective.
Analysis: This is a classic 'sampling error' flaw where the advertiser takes the opinion of a tiny, non-representative group and attributes that view to an entire profession. It's a bold move to claim the 'dental profession' is on board based on a chat with five people who might have just been the first five to answer the phone. When looking for a match, we need an argument that takes a very small sample and uses it to make a sweeping claim about a much larger group. The flaw is the leap from 'some' to 'all' or 'the whole group.'
Conclusion: The entire dental profession recognizes that brushing with Blizzard toothpaste is the most effective way to prevent cavities.
Reasoning: A tiny sample of five dentists agreed that a specific ingredient in the toothpaste is highly effective.
Analysis: This is a classic 'sampling error' flaw where the advertiser takes the opinion of a tiny, non-representative group and attributes that view to an entire profession. It's a bold move to claim the 'dental profession' is on board based on a chat with five people who might have just been the first five to answer the phone. When looking for a match, we need an argument that takes a very small sample and uses it to make a sweeping claim about a much larger group. The flaw is the leap from 'some' to 'all' or 'the whole group.'
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage25.The flawed reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the flawed reasoning in the advertisement?
Correct Answer
D
D replicates both flaws. It claims the nation’s voters know that electing Gomez is the best way to help the nation (broad group, very strong conclusion) but supports this with a poll of only ten voters (tiny sample). And it shifts from the action (electing Gomez) to a related attribute (Gomez’s policies), just like the ad shifts from brushing with Blizzard to Blizzard’s formula.
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