Psychological studies show that most teenagers verbally reject ideas

Question

Psychological studies show that most teenagers verbally reject ideas and opinions related to them by their parents. This rebellious verbal behavior often worries parents who feel they do not have control over or influence on their children's decisions. It can be concluded that the opinions communicated by a parent to a teenager will have no effect on that teenager.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

A. A recent study shows that even issues of national security can cause an increase in the consumption of alcohol and illegal substances by teenagers.

B. Last year, the son of the author of the book Violence solves nothing was incarcerated for the violent robbery of a downtown liquor store.

C. Many psychological studies in the field of family communication recognize the ability of teenagers to shut out or distort messages they receive from others.

D. A recent survey shows that 92% of the parents of drug-addicted teenagers regularly warned their children of the consequences of substance abuse.

E. When faced with an extremely difficult dilemma, the majority of people base their final decisions upon values that they were brought up with.

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pudu · Answer

In order to cast doubt on author's conclusion we have to choose an answer that says teenagers uses their parents advice/messages when requires. Option E says that majority people in extremely difficult situation uses values that they were brought up with and this value were given to them by their parents. Hence E.

DrAnkita91 · Answer

I am confused between option a and option e. 
Option e is not talking about the teenagers and option a is talking about the teenagers so in between a and e, I feel option a should be the answer
Please guide

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Psychological studies show that most teenagers verbally reject ideas and opinions related to them by their parents. This rebellious verbal behavior often worries parents who feel they do not have control over or influence on their children's decisions. It can be concluded that the opinions communicated by a parent to a teenager will have no effect on that teenager.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

A. A recent study shows that even issues of national security can cause an increase in the consumption of alcohol and illegal substances by teenagers.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences contain premises which provide factual data; the last sentence uses the conclusion word concluded so it is the argument's conclusion:

Premise A: teenagers verbally reject their parent's ideas
 +
Premise B: the verbal opposition makes parent's worry
 =
Conclusion: a parent's opinion has no effect on their teenage child

Possible assumption: the verbal statements of teenagers reflects their actual actions

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the conclusion that what parents tell their teenagers is completely ignored by them. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion. Providing other possible causes for problematic behavior does not say anything about how a teenager relates to a parent's opinion, which is the subject of the argument.

B. Last year, the son of the author of the book Violence solves nothing was incarcerated for the violent robbery of a downtown liquor store.

Incorrect.

Instead of weakening the conclusion, this answer choice strengthens it by providing an example of case in which a teenager ignored his parent's ideas. In this example, a parent who advocates non-violence has a son who took part in a violent robbery.

C. Many psychological studies in the field of family communication recognize the ability of teenagers to shut out or distort messages they receive from others.

Incorrect.

This answer choice strengthens the conclusion that teenagers ignore their parent's opinions. The fact teenagers shut out messages suggests that they may do the same to the messages they get from their parents.

D. A recent survey shows that 92% of the parents of drug-addicted teenagers regularly warned their children of the consequences of substance abuse.

Incorrect.

This answer choice strengthens the conclusion, but you are required to weaken it. Providing a statistic that almost all teenagers that became addicted to drugs were warned about them by their parents, just gives us another excellent reason to believe that teenagers are not affected by what their parents say to them.

E. When faced with an extremely difficult dilemma, the majority of people base their final decisions upon values that they were brought up with.

This answer choice weakens the conclusion by claiming that when it comes to an actual decision, a person (teenager or not) will fall back on the values he/she was raised upon. The phrase brought up with refers to what the parents in the family conveyed to their children.

Psychological studies show that most teenagers verbally reject ideas

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Psychological studies show that most teenagers verbally reject ideas

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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My Rewards