GetThisDone
A researcher studying corporate executives found that they tend to have “take charge” personalities, with the predominant traits of assertiveness, decisiveness, and self-confidence. The researcher concluded that people who are more “take charge” than the average person are more likely to become corporate executives.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the researcher’s conclusion?
(A) Holding the job of a corporate executive causes people to develop “take charge” personality traits.
(B) When working on charitable or community projects, corporate executives often use their ability to make decisions and lead people to make those projects successful.
(C) Some people who are not executives have stronger “take charge” personalities than some people who currently serve as corporate executives.
(D) Many people who aspire to become executives exhibit different management styles in their current jobs.
(E) The executives that the researcher studied were often unsuccessful when they tried to manage their family activities as they do their business activities.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Consider how the researcher reached the conclusion that having a more “take charge” personality makes a person more likely to become a corporate executive. Only one justification is given for this proposed cause and effect: the observation that a “take charge” personality tends to be observed in people who are corporate executives. However, it could be the case that the cause and effect relationship flows in the opposite direction than that proposed in the argument, as it is possible that a person first becomes a corporate executive and then develops a more “take charge” personality as a result.
(A) CORRECT. If a “take charge” personality is observed in people who are corporate executives because the job itself causes those traits to emerge, then the researcher’s conclusion that the personality traits lead to the job would be weakened.
(B) The behavior of corporate executives outside of the corporate world is not relevant to the argument.
(C) The fact that some non-executives have stronger "take charge" personalities than some people who are corporate executives does not substantially weaken the argument, as the existence of people who embody the extremes of a "take charge" personality does not disprove that those with a "take charge" personality are more likely to move into the role of corporate executive. Moreover, the personalities of non-executives are not relevant as counterexamples to the researcher’s argument about executives.
(D) The argument concerns “take charge” personality traits, not other management styles. It is possible that the people who aspire to become executives have “take charge” personalities, but have to adjust their management style according to the demands of their current jobs. Thus, this statement does not weaken the researcher’s conclusion.
(E) The success or failure of the executive’s management style, particularly outside of the corporate world, is not relevant to the conclusion.
28 Apr 2012, 21:09
15%
(low)
23%
(01:40)
wrong 
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