Flawed ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Some researchers think that body size matters for dating everywhere in the world. They base this entirely on what college kids say and what people write in dating ads.
Conclusion: Body size is a factor in mating choices across every human society.
Reasoning: This claim is based on surveys of university students and data pulled from dating advertisements in newspapers.
Analysis: The flaw here is a sampling error or an over-generalization. The author takes data from a very specific, narrow group—college students and people who use newspaper ads—and applies it to all societies globally. It is a bit like surveying people at a luxury yacht club to conclude that everyone in the world owns a boat. Look for an answer that points out the evidence is not representative of the entire human population across different cultures and age groups.
Conclusion: Body size is a factor in mating choices across every human society.
Reasoning: This claim is based on surveys of university students and data pulled from dating advertisements in newspapers.
Analysis: The flaw here is a sampling error or an over-generalization. The author takes data from a very specific, narrow group—college students and people who use newspaper ads—and applies it to all societies globally. It is a bit like surveying people at a luxury yacht club to conclude that everyone in the world owns a boat. Look for an answer that points out the evidence is not representative of the entire human population across different cultures and age groups.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.The reasoning in the argument described above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
Correct Answer
B
Correct. The argument generalizes to all societies from self-reports by university students and newspaper personals—sources that may be unrepresentative of the global population and cultural variation in mating decisions.
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