Bunuel wrote:
Parenting Magazine: A study of several hundred young adults found that those who rated themselves as having high levels of self-confidence also displayed stronger social skills. This suggests that self-confidence helps young adults successfully navigate situations that have the potential to hamper their social skills.
In order to assess the strength of the magazine’s argument, it would be most helpful to know whether
A. young adults typically rate themselves more self-confident than professional psychological assessments would
B. young adults’ perceptions of their social skills could be impacted by influences they are not aware of
C. poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults
D. young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills tend to drop temporarily in situations likely to stress those skills
E. there is a level of high self-confidence that tends to reduce overall social skills
Mind-map: Study of young adults found that those with high self-confidence also had stronger social skills self-confidence helps young adults navigate situations that may hamper their social skills (conclusion)
Missing-link: Between young adults with high self-confidence having stronger social skills and the conclusion that self-confidence helps young adults navigate situations that may hamper their social skills
Expectation from the correct answer choice: To indicate some fact or data that helps in evaluating the conclusion that self-confidence helps young adults navigate situations that may hamper their social skills
Discussion: This argument commits the
classic GMAT error of confusing “effect" with "cause”; the argument mentions that young adults with high self-confidence had stronger social skills and concludes that self-confidence is the “cause” that has an “effect” on social skills; the argument ignores the possibility that social skills may be the cause that has an effect on self-confidence. In order to establish a cause-effect relationship implied in the argument, the reverse possibility needs to be evaluated.
A. Trap. If young adults typically rate themselves higher on self-confidence than professionals would, it indicates that all young adults involved in the study are likely to have inflated their self-confidence ratings; however, this answer choice
makes no suggestion regarding the relationship between self-confidence and social skills and thus would not help evaluate the conclusion. Because this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion, this answer choice is incorrect.
B. Trap. This answer choice, suggesting that there are other factors that influence social skills, or the perception thereof, is
applicable to all young adults regardless of their self-confidence; so, this answer choice
fails to make any suggestion regarding the relationship between the two; hence, this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion. Because this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion, this answer choice is incorrect.
C. Correct. If poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults, it indicates that social skills are the “cause” that has an “effect” on self-confidence, thus
reversing the cause-effect relationship implied in the argument and casting doubt on the conclusion that self-confidence helps young adults navigate situations that may hamper their social skills; so, this answer choice would help evaluate the conclusion. Because this answer choice would help evaluate the conclusion, this answer choice is correct.
D. Trap. This answer choice, suggesting that situations in which social skills are tested temporarily affect young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills, is
applicable to all young adults regardless of their self-confidence; so, this answer choice
fails to make any suggestion regarding the relationship between the two; hence, this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion. Because this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion, this answer choice is incorrect.
E. This answer choice, suggesting that there exists a level of high self-confidence that tends to reduce overall social skills, indicates that, in some cases,
self-confidence hampers social skills, thus weakening the conclusion; however, this answer choice is
applicable only beyond a certain level and is thus,
limited in scope; hence, this answer choice
makes no suggestion regarding the generally-applicable relationship between self-confidence and social skills and thus would not help evaluate the conclusion. Because this answer choice would not help evaluate the conclusion, this answer choice is incorrect.
C is the best choice.
close
18 Aug 2021, 08:00
40%
(02:13)
wrong 
