Bunuel wrote:
The usefulness of lie detectors cannot be overestimated. Although there is no employee screening procedure that is 100 percent accurate, the lie detector is a valuable tool for employers and employees alike. The lie detector’s usefulness is amply demonstrated in a recent survey conducted by a prestigious university. In the survey, those employees of a large company who were applying for a newly created position within the company were asked if they had ever worked on Project X. More than one-third of the applicants studied lied and said they had worked on the project—a project that never existed.
Which one of the following best identifies a flaw in the author’s argument about the usefulness of lie detectors?
.(A) The argument depends on the assumption that whatever is good for the employer is good for the employee.
(B) Since lie detectors are known to be less than 100 percent accurate, the test will tend to help only those with something to hide.
(C) By referring to a prestigious university, the author is appealing to authority rather than to evidence.
(D) The study shows only that certain individual will lie, not that the lie detector can detect them.
(E) The author fails to address the issue that the use of lie detectors may fail to prevent embezzlement
IMO D
We need to find a flaw in the author’s argument about the usefulness of lie detectors.
So the argument mentions, Although there is no employee screening procedure that is 100 percent accurate, the lie detector is a
valuable tool for employers and employees alike. The lie detector’s usefulness is amply demonstrated in a recent survey conducted by a prestigious university.
More than one-third of the applicants studied lied and said they had worked on the project—a project that never existed.
(A) The argument depends on the assumption that whatever is good for the employer is good for the employee.
hmm, this was just mentioned in the first statement, but then the author was discussing about a study, this was not pertaining to the argument.
(B) Since lie detectors are known to be less than 100 percent accurate, the test will tend to help only those with something to hide.
Hmm something to hide, but then more than 1/3 had lied, isn't this less than 100% quite loose ended.
(C) By referring to a prestigious university, the author is appealing to authority rather than to evidence.
No this is not a flaw in the study, its just supporting the study.
(D) The study shows only that certain individual will lie, not that the lie detector can detect them.
So only people pertaining to the study had lied, so are we not saying that lie detector doesn't work.
(E) The author fails to address the issue that the use of lie detectors may fail to prevent embezzlement
this one went too broad for the scope, we were discussing about catching a fraud for a position, not for the whole company.
Would still like to see how much correct i was, compared to an expert's take at this.