"People Meters", new devices attached to a relatively small sample of

"People Meters", new devices attached to a relatively small sample of TV sets to determine how many viewers watch programs, show smaller audiences for programs on the major television networks than did the previously used methods of telephone surveys and viewer diaries. Network officials argue that the lower number result from the fact that the people meters, which are located primarily in private homes, fail to take account of many young adults who regularly watch those programs in college dormitories and at military bases.

The network officials' argument depends on which of the following assumption?

CONCLUSION : "People Meters" show smaller audiences for programs on the major television networks than did the previously used methods of telephone surveys and viewer diaries.
CAUSE : people meters, which are located primarily in private homes, fail to take account of many young adults who regularly watch those programs in college dormitories and at military bases.

Here, the conclusion has the causation relation.Now, for such conclusions in a stimulus, assumption answer choices tend to work exactly like strengthen answer choices .The correct answer can :
1) Eliminate an alternate cause for the stated effect
2)Show that when the cause occurs, the effect also occures
3) show that when the cause does not occure, effect does not occur
4) Eliminate the possibility that the stated relationship is reversed
5) show that the data used to make the causal statement are accurate, or eliminate the possible problems with the data


A) People meters have been installed primarily on TV sets belonging to persons whose viewing habits were monitored in the past through telephone surveys and viewer dairies.
This option contradicts what is stated in the premise : " people meters, which are located primarily in private homes, fail to take account of many young adults who regularly watch those programs in college dormitories and at military bases." If the statement given in this answer choice is true, then People meters would also have been installed in the college dormitories and at military bases, in which viewing habits were monitored in the past through telephone surveys and viewer dairies.

Correct answer choice should not contradict any premise

B) Those programs for which people meters have found smaller audiences than did the previously used sampling methods are watched almost entirely by young adults.
This statement is not indispensible for the conclusion.Even if this is true / false, the conclusion is not affected

C) The previously used method of measuring TV audiences more adequately allowed for the viewers in college dormitories ad at military bases.
The given argument in this stimulus says that the diffence is because now the viewers in college dormitories ad at military bases. are not covered. Now , if we say that the previous method more adequately allowed viewers in college dormitories and at military bases , then there is ahigh possbility that the data by the people meters would be different becuase they dont consider the college dormitories and military bases.
Also, this answer choice conforms to (5) above : "shows that the data used to make the causal statement are accurate"

This is the correct answer.
We can also try negation technique:
Negated statement : The previously used method of measuring TV audiences did not more adequately allow for the viewers in college dormitories ad at military bases.

This weakens the conclusion, i.e., this gives a high chance , that the sample population can be same for both people meters and the telephone surveys/viewer diaries

D) The households where people meters are located will have to be changed over time, as people drop out of the sample and others replace them.
There is no connection between the changing of the people meters and the conclusion. Be this answer choice be true/false, it does not affect the conclusion

E) As a group, young adults maintain an intense loyalty to the same few televised program.
Here whether the people are viewing the same televised program or different programs does not matter. What matters is who are viewing the televised programs