Career consultant: the most popular career advice suggests emphasizing

Question

Career consultant: the most popular career advice suggests emphasizing one’s strengths to employers and downplaying one’s weaknesses. Research shows this advice to be incorrect. A study of 314 managers shows that those who use self-deprecating humor in front of their employees are more likely to be seen by them as even-handed, thoughtful, and concerned than are those who do not.

The careers consultant’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it:

(A) Bases a conclusion about how one group will respond to self-deprecation on information about how a different group responds to it

(B) Ignores the possibility that what was viewed positively in the managers’ self-deprecating humor was the self-deprecation and not its humor

(C) Ignores the possibility that non-self-depreciating humor might have been viewed even more positively than self-deprecating humor

(D) Infers from the fact that self-depreciating humor was viewed positively that non-humorous self-deprecation would not be viewed positively

(E) Bases a conclusion about a certain popular career advice on a critique of only one part of that advice

Source: LSAT

Arro44 · Answer

I would opt for choice A.

Comparison between apples and pears, just because your employees like it does not mean your employer will like it.

Posted from my mobile device

nightblade354 · Answer

Explanation, as narrated by Nightblade: 
 
Career consultant: the most popular career advice suggests emphasizing one’s strengths to employers and downplaying one’s weaknesses. Research shows this advice to be incorrect. A study of 314 managers shows that those who use self-deprecating humor in front of their employees are more likely to be seen by them as even-handed, thoughtful, and concerned than are those who do not.

Old thought process: Show strengths
Consultant: Be self deprecating because it works for managers

The careers consultant’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it:

(A) Bases a conclusion about how one group will respond to self-deprecation on information about how a different group responds to it --  Bingo bango. So it works for one group, why is it that it would work for another? This is our answer, but we'll hold it for now to review the others 
(B) Ignores the possibility that what was viewed positively in the managers’ self-deprecating humor was the self-deprecation and not its humor --  This doesn't work. This still says that self-deprecation works, and that is what we are trying to disprove.

(C) Ignores the possibility that non-self-depreciating humor might have been viewed even more positively than self-deprecating humor --  Interesting, but why do we care which is more positively viewed? We don't.

(D) Infers from the fact that self-depreciating humor was viewed positively that non-humorous self-deprecation would not be viewed positively --  Another interesting answer. But why do care about non-humorous self deprecation? We do not. We care about non-deprecating actions, which this does not cover, so it is out of scope. Pay attention to the wording!

(E) Bases a conclusion about a certain popular career advice on a critique of only one part of that advice --  The consultant doesn't critique the advice. She says there is a better way to go about things, but never says the ways in which the old way is inferior.

GmatPrime · Answer

The catch is b/w:

Employees and employers!

kittle · Answer

This is a typical scope error (gap) problem, where catch is between employees and employers

Shambhavigoyal19 · Answer

The conclusion of this argument is,
“Research shows this advice (emphasize your strengths to employers and downplay your weaknesses) is incorrect.
” The
evidence used to support this conclusion is a study of managers that shows that being a self-deprecating manager causes your employees to like you. Um, so, this
study about managers means that it’s a good idea for me to be self-deprecating in a job interview? Imagine:
“My greatest weakness? Well, I mean there are just
so many of them, heh heh, where should I start? Am I right?”
Now , maybe if the boss said that, you’d laugh. But how do you think that would work out if someone was interviewing you for a job? Not so well. This indicates
that the cited research probably doesn’t apply to the conclusion that was drawn.
The question asks us to criticize the argument. We already have, and our criticism is probably going to be very closely related to the correct answer .
A) This seems about right. A group of employees might respond differently to self-deprecation than a group of potential employers would. This matches our
prediction.
B) This is not what we predicted, and A already matches our prediction, so we don’t really have to worry too much about what this answer choice might mean. I
guess it’s something like,
“The employees didn’t like the humor . Rather , they liked that the managers were pointing out their own shortcomings.
” Okay fine, but
even if that’s true it wouldn’t ruin the idea that self-deprecation is a good strategy in a job interview . If A is true, then it ruins the argument. So A is better than B.
C) Other types of humor are just irrelevant. A is still the best answer .
D) These answer choices are getting worse and worse. What does this even mean? A is still the best.
E) I don’t think this could ever be the correct answer , because it’s perfectly reasonable to base your opinion of a certain plan on only one part of that plan.
Example:
“I don’t think you should steal that car , because there is a policeman across the street watching you.
” In this analysis, I didn’t need to consider what the
person was planning to do with the stolen car , or how fun it would be to take a joyride, or any other aspect of the plan, because the plan had one fatal flaw .
Anyway , answer A very closely matched our prediction, B through E were all terrible, and A is therefore our answer

Career consultant: the most popular career advice suggests emphasizing

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