The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carr

The conclusion is that "the Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today." The author then provides several pieces of evidence in support of that conclusion:

• When subjected to minor impacts, the carrier's hard plastic exterior retains its shape while the thick interior "comfort pad" absorbs the shock, presumably protecting the baby from the impact.
• When designing the carrier, the company took into consideration the comfort preferences of both the babies riding in the carrier and the adults carrying it (based on the most comprehensive baby carrier study to date).
• The carrier converts easily from an at-large carrier to a car seat, reducing the risk to infants when they are being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the safety and comfort claims made about the Dear One Baby Carrier?


The author never claims that the exterior would retain its shape when the carrier is dropped from an average carrying height. The author only claims that it would retain its shape when subjected to minor impacts. Thus, choice (A) does not undermine the claims made in the passage and can be eliminated.


It doesn't matter how the number of transfer injuries compares to the number of car seat injuries. All that matters is whether the carrier reduces the risk to infants when they are being transferred from a carrier to a car seat. Choice (B) has no impact on the author's claims and can be eliminated.


The author only claims that "the Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today." Thus, we do not care how the Dear One compares to a carrier that is scheduled to be released next year. Eliminate (C).


Since dual-function carriers are only slightly less safe on average, there is no strong reason to believe that ALL dual-functions carriers are less safe than single-function baby car seats. The Dear One could easily be safer than the average dual-function carrier, in which case choice (D) would not necessarily undermine the author's claims. Eliminate (D).


If this is true, than the rival company's carrier will have all of the same advantages of the Dear One. In addition, the rival's carrier will have stronger and lighter plastic. In other words, the only difference between the two carriers is that the rival's has stronger and lighter plastic. This implies that the rival's carrier would be even safer and more comfortable than the Dear One, undermining the author's conclusion.

Choice (E) is the best answer.
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Definitely E. We are asked to look for the option that most undermines the claim made by the author that "The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today". So we are looking for some information that gives us proof that there is another carrier which is more comfortable and safer.

(A) The hard plastic exterior of the Dear One Baby Carrier does not retain its shape when dropped from an average carrying height.

Despite it gives us information that the Dear One Baby Carrier is not as safe as we might think, it could still be the "safest and most comfortable in the market". Not relevant.

(B) On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.

This gives us no information regarding how safe or comfortable is the Dear One Baby Carrier compared to other options available in the market.

(C) According to the study on which the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier was based, the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of a baby carrier scheduled to be released next year by a rival company is significantly higher than the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of the Dear One Baby Carrier.

Besides the fact that I find it strange that babies find one carrier more comfortable than the other, this option could be relevant but there is one detail that makes it incorrect. It says that there is a new design which is more comfortable (it would help us to undermine the statement), however, this new design is scheduled to be released next year. So even if it IS more comfortable it would still be incorrect since the Dear One Baby Carrier would continue to be the safest and most confortable option available in the market TODAY.

(D) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats.

I'm not a native speaker but I find "car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, less..." to be strangely written. Maybe "double" is used in a way I don't know. Anyway, it's not relevant. It gives us no information regarding how safe is the Dear One Baby Carrier compared to other options available in the market.

(E) A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier.

This option is correct, it is exactly what I was looking for. It gives us proof that there is another option available in the market TODAY that replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier but uses a new type of plastic that makes it stronger and lighter, therefore, making it safer.

Another tough one --> My answer: B (Awaiting OA)

The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today. The hard plastic exterior retains its shape when subjected to minor impacts, while the thick interior “comfort pad” acts as a shock absorber. The design is based on the results of the most comprehensive baby carrier study performed to date, which analyzed comfort preferences both of infants placed inside the carriers and of adults carrying the devices. As a bonus, the Dear One Baby Carrier converts easily from an at-large carrier to a car seat, reducing the risk to infants when they are being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the safety and comfort claims made about the Dear One Baby Carrier?

(A) The hard plastic exterior of the Dear One Baby Carrier does not retain its shape when dropped from an average carrying height. -This doesn't mean that the carrier is not safe. Maybe the shock absorbents absorb the shock very well that the outer layer can be made by using a lighter substance.
(B) On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat. -Correct. If the number of babies injured while riding a car is more than the number of babies injured while being transferred to the car, then that means that the carrier won't be safe most of the times.
(C) According to the study on which the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier was based, the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of a baby carrier scheduled to be released next year by a rival company is significantly higher than the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of the Dear One Baby Carrier. -We are not worried about the comfort.
(D) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats. -Okay, this option is comparing the car seat with the carrier. But, it doesn't mean that the carrier is not safe. For example, if a person uses an iphone and another one uses a google pixel, it doesn't mean that the pixel is not good. It's just that out of the two, iphone is better.
(E) A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier. -We are not worried about the rival company's achievements

IMO D

ArguementL D one (Dear One) is safer and comfortable

Task: undermine safety/comfort

(A) The hard plastic exterior of the Dear One Baby Carrier does not retain its shape when dropped from an average carrying height. (OFS)
(B) On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat. (this supports D one)
(C) According to the study on which the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier was based, the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of a baby carrier scheduled to be released next year by a rival company is significantly higher than the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of the Dear One Baby Carrier. (okay, but does this undermine their original claim?)
(D) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats. (Best option explaining why D one is not not as safe as advertised)
(E) A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier. (OFS)

Hi GMAT121217,

In my opinion Option D is not correct. Because argument neither talks about "Car Seat double as baby carriers" nor about "Single function baby Car seats" (both describing about car seats). These issues are out of scope/irrelevant according to argument.
BTW i am stuck between option A and option E

Hope it helps.

Thanks

Claim made by the company: The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today. The answer has to show that its not the safest and most comfortable..

Any option that shows us that some other brand >The Dear One Baby Carrier in terms of safety and comfort wins. Option E just does that.

A
This baby carrier encourages parents to transfer babies with it but is not safe when transferring = higher risk
B
Applies to all car seats not only this one
C
We are not concerned with what infants prefer
D
On average slightly less safe. Too general and wordy
E
Stronger and lighter does not equte to safer and more comfortable

So A for me

Took me 4:14 minutes to solve this

But I just wanted to be sure, since I had got the last QOTD wrong, because of a silly mistake.

Let me highlight the important portions of the passage:

CONCLUSION : The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today.

Premise : The hard plastic exterior retains its shape when subjected to minor impacts, while the thick interior “comfort pad” acts as a shock absorber. The design is based on the results of the most comprehensive baby carrier study performed to date, which analyzed comfort preferences both of infants placed inside the carriers and of adults carrying the devices. As a bonus, the Dear One Baby Carrier converts easily from an at-large carrier to a car seat, reducing the risk to infants when they are being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.

We need to weaken the argument, so we are looking for an answer option, which would tell us that DOBC is not the safest and comfortable carrier.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the safety and comfort claims made about the Dear One Baby Carrier?

(A) The hard plastic exterior of the Dear One Baby Carrier does not retain its shape when dropped from an average carrying height.
[Irrelevant: Even if it does not retain, that does not mean that it is not the "safest" and "most comfortable carrier"]

(B) On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.
[The last part of the premise about carrier and car seat, was just a bonus feature, so even if that was not satisfied, doesn't mean that DOBC is not the safest - discarded this option]

(C) According to the study on which the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier was based, the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of a baby carrier scheduled to be released next year by a rival company is significantly higher than the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of the Dear One Baby Carrier.
[This option took up a lot of time - but I eliminated it using two reasons - rival carrier will be released next year, so as of now DOBC is the most comfortable! And nothing has been mentioned about the safety of the rival company, hence this does not undermine the argument completely - Hence removed]

(D) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats.
[Discarded it because of the same reasons mentioned in Option B ]

(E) A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier.
[Now this could undermine the argument because - The replication is done! So now we have a rival who has a better product than DOBC, hence DOBC cannot be the safest and most comfortable.]

Correct Answer : E

I have some trouble interpreting the conclusion - what it implies - it says 'Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the safety and comfort claims made about the Dear One Baby Carrier?' --> This can mean EITHER A) DOBC is not as safe as it claims (for whatever reason) or B) OTHER BRANDS can be safer

This deems both B and E correct --> B) says "On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat." - [u]its a bonus, but it does reduce the veracity of the claim made by DOBC. For instance, even if 10 parents who bought the DOBC and used the bonus feature experienced some safety issues while riding with their baby [not transferring only], DOBC maybe deemed unsafe, thus undermining the conclusion[/u]
E) says 'A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier.' - this again doesn't undermine the claim, it just says xyz new brand is better at the safety than DOBC - but that doesn't mean DOBC is any less safe.

Request any help, especially experts, in clearing my reasoning. I'm sure there will be more questions like these

The passage does not claim that babies riding in a DOBC car seat are 100% safe from injury. The passage simply claims that the DOBC is the safest baby carrier available today.

Choice (B) highlights that more babies are injured while riding in car seats than while being transferred to car seats. This makes sense (driving is by nature dangerous, while simply transferring a baby to a car seat is no riskier than putting a baby in a high chair or a crib). But does this make the DOBC unsafe? Who knows. Maybe babies are actually slightly safer riding in DOBC car seats than in other car seats. Choice (B) does not allow us to compare the DOBC to other car seats.

Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid car accidents, but this does not go against the claims in the passage. The car seats obviously do not CAUSE those accidents, but are babies riding in a DOBC car seat safer, less safe, or just as safe as babies riding in another car seat? We have no idea, and as long as the DOBC is safer than OTHER carriers, choice (B) does not impact the safety claims.

I hope that helps!
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CONCLUSION: The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier available today.

Premise: The hard plastic exterior retains its shape when subjected to minor impacts, while the thick interior “comfort pad” acts as a shock absorber. The design is based on the results of the most comprehensive baby carrier study performed to date, which analyzed comfort preferences both of infants placed inside the carriers and of adults carrying the devices. As a bonus, the Dear One Baby Carrier converts easily from an at-large carrier to a car seat, reducing the risk to infants when they are being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.

We need to weaken the argument, so we are looking for an answer option, which would tell us that DOBC is not the safest and comfortable carrier.

Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the safety and comfort claims made about the Dear One Baby Carrier?

(A) The hard plastic exterior of the Dear One Baby Carrier does not retain its shape when dropped from an average carrying height.
[Irrelevant: Even if it does not retain, that does not mean that it is not the "safest" and "most comfortable carrier"]

(B) On average, the number of babies injured each year while riding in a car seat is greater than the number of babies injured each year while being transferred from a carrier to a car seat.
[The last part of the premise about carrier and car seat, was just a bonus feature, so even if that was not satisfied, doesn't mean that DOBC is not the safest - discarded this option]

(C) According to the study on which the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier was based, the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of a baby carrier scheduled to be released next year by a rival company is significantly higher than the percentage of infants who prefer the comfort of the Dear One Baby Carrier.
[This option took up a lot of time - but I eliminated it using two reasons - rival carrier will be released next year, so as of now DOBC is the most comfortable! And nothing has been mentioned about the safety of the rival company, hence this does not undermine the argument completely - Hence removed]

(D) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats.
[Discarded it because of the same reasons mentioned in Option B ]

(E) A rival company has successfully replicated the design of the Dear One Baby Carrier while utilizing a new type of plastic that is significantly stronger and lighter than the type used in the Dear One Baby Carrier.
[Now this could undermine the argument because - The replication is done! So now we have a rival who has a better product than DOBC, hence DOBC cannot be the safest and most comfortable.]

Correct Answer: E

GMATNinja

I picked (A) because I thought that it attacked the premise that the carrier's hard plastic exterior would retain its shape when subjected to minor impacts.

Isn't the fact that just dropping the carrier from an average carrying height will compromise its shape, then, providing new info that destroys the claim's validity?

Ex. Oops I dropped it! Oh no, the shape just got warped, even though the company promised it wouldn't even against minor impacts.

Or am I assuming too much?
i.e. minor impact definition or average carrying height definition?

Thanks!

As you noted, the key is the distinction between a "minor impact" and the impact "when dropped from an average carrying height". In order for (A) to be correct, we would have to assume that dropping the carrier from an average carrying height would only result in a "minor impact", and that might not be the case.

In other words, if faced with the statement in choice (A), the author could easily reply, "I said that the hard plastic exterior retains its shape when subjected to minor impacts. Dropping the carrier from an average carrying height does not constitute a minor impact."

I hope that helps!
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Just because the rival has designed a similar product doesn't mean its out in the market??!
i feel E is wrong because language is not precise!

If we read the claim, option E jumps out as the correct answer.

Claim - 'The Dear One Baby Carrier is the safest and most comfortable baby carrier in the market. That means it is the best in terms of safety and comfort.

All we need to show is that it is not the best. Some other product is.

A,B,D add nothing to this context. hence can be eliminated

C- 'design on which' DOBC is based - means that they are not the same. There can be variations to the design that can make the new product inferior in terms of safety .
E- states that it has all the features of DOBC plus an improvement. Hence, this product can take over the #1 position that DOBC has claimed in the first sentence.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi GMATNinja -

When one reviews the conclusion



Are
i) single-function baby car seats [mentioned in option D end]
ii) Car seats that convert to Baby Carriers [mentioned in option D beggining]
iii) Baby Carriers that convert to Car Seats [mentioned in question stem]

Are all three structure s- types of baby carriers ?

I only thought (ii) and (iii) were baby carriers. (i) may or may not be considered a baby carrier

Hence i eliminatd D thinking -- option (i) is mentioned in answer D) but we dont even know if (i) is a baby carrier to begin with

Fair strategy or just got lucky you think ?

Thanks !

Although you have a point, the reasoning laid out in this post is definitely more solid. This is because if the Dear One Baby Carrier was unsafe when placed in a car, then it would likely not be the safest baby carrier. You could argue that, when it functions as a car seat, it has ceased to be a baby carrier. But the product is still a baby carrier at its core.

So, its safety when placed in a car is relevant — even if we’re not comparing it to a car seats because they technically aren’t baby carriers.

I hope that helps!
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Hi GMATNinja - thank you so much for responding. If my understanding is correct - you eliminated D because of the word Average

By definition, an Average implies -- there will some cases indicating car seats that double as baby carriers are equally or even more safe than single-function baby car seats.

An average by definition will have some points above the mean or equal to the mean.

Hence if option D variant had removed the word "Average" - then this option D variant would be a weakener

(Option D variant) Studies suggest that car seats that double as baby carriers are, on average, slightly less safe than single-function baby car seats.

In this case -- this would be a legitimate weakener per your understanding correct ?

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