GMATNinja wrote:
Prashant10692 wrote:
Could anyone correct my logic?
I chose D.
chesstitansFor the reason that the many computer owners in the United States have enough leisure time that spending significant amounts of time on the computer still leaves ample time for watching television.
So if they are not watching tv some other reason is there i.e. other than computer use because of which they are not interested in watching television.
ucb2k7 wrote:
Hi
mikemcgarry,
Please explain as to why (D) or (E) is wrong.
Quote:
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely predicted to result in a corresponding decline in television viewing. Recent studies have found that, in the United States, people who own computers watch, on average, significantly less television than people who do not own computers. In itself, however, this finding does very little to show that computer use tends to reduce television viewing time, since _______.
(A) many people who watch little or no television do not own a computer.
(B) even though most computer owners in the United States watch significantly less television than the national average, some computer owners watch far more television than the national average.
(C) computer owners in the United States predominately belong to a demographic group that have long been known to spend less time watching television than the population as a whole does.
(D) many computer owners in the United States have enough leisure time that spending significant amounts of time on the computer still leaves ample time for watching television.
(E) many people use their computers primarily for tasks such as correspondence that can be done more rapidly on the computer, and doing so leaves more leisure time for watching television.
We are told that people who own computers watch significantly less television than people who do not own computers. But does that mean that computer use tends to REDUCE television viewing time? According to the author, it does not.
In other words, the author's conclusion is that the findings from the study do "very little to show that computer use tends to reduce television viewing time." We need an answer choice that supports this conclusion:
Quote:
(D) many computer owners in the United States have enough leisure time that spending significant amounts of time on the computer still leaves ample time for watching television.
Choice (D) tells us that the computer users are not interested in watching television. But would those people be MORE interested in watching television if they did not own computers? Perhaps they would not, and that would support the author's point of view. But perhaps they WOULD watch more television if they did not own computers, and that would go against the author's argument.
Choice (D) may or may not support the author's conclusion, so it is not the best answer.
Quote:
(E) many people use their computers primarily for tasks such as correspondence that can be done more rapidly on the computer, and doing so leaves more leisure time for watching television.
Choice (E) suggests that computer use leaves more time for television watching. But we already know that people with computers watch less television that people without computers.
Sure, (E) suggests that computer users would have less time for television if their computers were taken away. But we have no way of knowing whether computer owners would actually watch more or less television if their computers were taken away.
If people with computers watch less television, why can't we conclude that computer use tends to
reduce television watching time? Choice (E) does not answer this question, so it should be eliminated.
Quote:
(C) computer owners in the United States predominately belong to a demographic group that have long been known to spend less time watching television than the population as a whole does.
Choice (C), on the other hand, does answer this question. (C) tells us that computer owners belong to a group that spends less time watching television. So these people have always watched less television. It just so happens that these people also tend to own computers, but computer use did not
cause them to watch less television. They've always watched less television, so the finding is not related to the growing popularity of computer-based activities.
(C) is the best answer.
Conclusion: Computer use does not reduce TV Time
Why? ---> this is what we need to find.
Premise: Computer based activities are predicted to reduce TV Time. Studies say that computer owners watch less TV that people who do not own computers.
So why is our finding different than this? Why is the cause & effect relationship (computer use >>> causes less TV watching) not working?
(A) many people who watch little or no television do not own a computer. ------------------ does not support our conclusion. If at all this wont even be a part of the study. Moreover, the cause & effect relationship is reversed here.
ELIMINATE
(B) even though most computer owners in the United States watch significantly less television than the national average, some computer owners watch far more television than the national average. --------------- This does not strengthen the conclusion that computer use causes less TV time, this option kind of counters the conclusion.
ELIMINATE
(C) computer owners in the United States predominately belong to a demographic group that have long been known to spend less time watching television than the population as a whole doe. ------------------ VOILA! This says that the people who own computers won’t watch much TV regardless of the computer use. This supports the conclusion that computer use does not cause reduced TV Time.
CORRECT
(D) many computer owners in the United States have enough leisure time that spending significant amounts of time on the computer still leaves ample time for watching television. ------------------ just because they have time, doesn’t mean they will spend that time actually watching TV. Not helping.
ELIMINATE
(E) many people use their computers primarily for tasks such as correspondence that can be done more rapidly on the computer, and doing so leaves more leisure time for watching television. ---------- just like D, just because they have time, doesn’t mean they will actually watch TV in that time. Not helping
ELIMINATE
GMATNinja I am not sure if my reasoning is correct. Could you help?
close
20 Apr 2020, 00:36
