GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Parenting Magazine: A study of several hundred you

Question

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

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Explanation:

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.

sumitkrocks · Answer

(C)  is the answer IMO

High self confidence --> Stronger social skills is the observation presented in the argument

Based on the above observation conclusion is formed that Self confidence helps young adults successfully overcome threats to their social skills

We need to access the argument

We can notice the cause and effect relation presented in the argument 
What if weak social skills is causing lower self confidence or there are cases with high self confidence but no social skills or vice versa

A. young adults typically rate themselves more self-confident than professional psychological assessments would

Interesting option, but what is the degree of miss in the assessment; little more is okay, but if professional psychologist and young adults are diametrically opposite our argument will fall

Close but lacking accuracy -Eliminate

B. young adults’ perceptions of their social skills could be impacted by influences they are not aware of

Argument mentioned perception of self confidence not social skills -Eliminate

C. poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults 
 Yes, this answers our analysis question; if yes cause and effect presented in the argument would reverse-Correct choice

D. young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills tend to drop temporarily in situations likely to stress those skills
 Irrelevant

E. there is a level of high self-confidence that tends to reduce overall social skills
 Having such level is not a concern - Eliminate

mSKR · Answer

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
self confidence can help overcome socual skills X--> Y given
We need to find out whether social skills play any role in self confidence . IS X because of Y?
this question would be a good infromation to evaluate.

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 
we want to find a relationship with social skills

C. poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults 
YES:strengthens the conclusion: if poor social skills lower the self-confidence of young adults then it means that they can not hamper social situations and cofidence will be weak
NO: weakens the conclusion: self confidence and social skills have no relation.

D. young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills tend to  drop temporarily  in situations likely to stress those skills
how does it help to evaluate conclusion

E. there is a level of  high self-confidence  that tends to reduce overall social skills
we care about self confidence.

Final answer: C 
other options not even close.

cs15811581 · Answer

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.

Reasoning:  The moment you see that the reasoning states that  A leads to B , we can always questions whether  it is B, in first place that has led to A.

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 
 Out of context

B. young adults’ perceptions of their social skills could be impacted by influences they are not aware of
 Connects social skills with influence's impact. But we are looking at social skills vs self confidence

C. poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults 
 CORRECT. Says the reasoning could be opposite to what is sought. It say less of B leads to less of A.

D. young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills tend to drop temporarily in situations likely to stress those skills
 Out of context

E. there is a level of high self-confidence that tends to reduce overall social skills
 Out of scope

C

chiplesschap · Answer

Took 5:56 and got it wrong lol. Had to go slow and think quite a lot to get to C. The key bit here is discovering the answer to which of the options would help us to “ASSESS THE STRENGTH OF THE ARGUMENT”.

Let's evaluate the answer to option C.

If answer is Yes, it would mean poor social skills leads to significantly lower self-confidence in young adults and not the other way around

If answer is No, it would mean poor social skills does not lead to significantly lower self-confidence in young adults

Knowing answer to this “Answer choice” (If YES) either strengthens or (if NO) weakens the strength of the argument. Therefore, choice C is the best fit.

napolean92728 · Answer

Argument Summary (from  Parenting Magazine ):   
 
 A study found:  young adults with high self-confidence also had stronger social skills . 
 The  conclusion :  Self-confidence helps  young adults  navigate socially challenging situations .  
To evaluate the  strength  of this conclusion, we must check whether  self-confidence actually causes  better social skills — or whether  another explanation  might better account for the correlation (e.g., reverse causation, or a third factor).

What Are We Looking For?   
We need to identify what  additional information  would  most help  assess whether the magazine's  causal claim  (that self-confidence helps social skills) is  valid .

Option Analysis:   
 (A)  Young adults typically rate themselves more self-confident than professional psychological assessments would 
 
 This talks about  overestimation or accuracy  of self-ratings. 
 Even if self-ratings are inflated, the  correlation  still exists (high self-rating of confidence with high social skills), so it doesn’t  help assess causality  between confidence and social skill. 
  Eliminate.

(B)  Young adults’ perceptions of their social skills could be impacted by influences they are not aware of 
 
 This hints at  bias or distortion  in how they rate their own skills. 
 But the  study isn’t about perception of social skills ; it’s about actual  displayed  social skills. So this is only weakly relevant. 
  Eliminate.

(C)  Poor social skills significantly lower the self-confidence of young adults 
 
 This suggests  reverse causality  — i.e.,  social skills affect confidence , not the other way around. 
 That  directly challenges  the magazine’s claim and is crucial for evaluating the strength of its causal conclusion. 
  Correct answer.

(D)  Young adults’ ratings of their overall social skills tend to drop temporarily in situations likely to stress those skills 
 
 This is about  temporary dips  in perceived skill due to stress, not about  causation  or the long-term relationship between confidence and social skills. 
 Doesn’t impact the conclusion much. 
  Eliminate.

(E)  There is a level of high self-confidence that tends to reduce overall social skills 
 
 Interesting idea (overconfidence), but it's  tangential  to the magazine’s argument, which focuses on whether  high confidence helps or not  — not whether  excessive confidence might hurt . 
 It could weaken the claim  in extreme cases , but it's not as central to assessing  overall strength  of the argument. 
  Eliminate.

GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Parenting Magazine: A study of several hundred you

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GMAT CLUB OLYMPICS: Parenting Magazine: A study of several hundred you

Prep Toolkit

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