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Conclusion: When someone is familiar with something, they will find a depiction of the same thing less realistic.
Premise(s): Equestrians with horses, general people with human hands.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the art critic’s conclusion? --> depending on how these options go, our conclusion can be strengthened or weakened.

(A) Whether the people rating artwork in the study included expert artists
- Even if they were, the fact remains that equestrians rated the depictions differently. This option does not say whether the equestrians were expert artists or the other group or anyone.

(B) Whether expert artists consider horses at least as difficult to realistically depict as hands
- If they do consider horses as difficult to draw as human hands, the difference in rating still persists. If they don't, we still have the rating difference. The ease of creating the depiction matters less, and the final depiction's rating matters more.

(C) Whether the shapes and proportions of human hands are much less varied than the shapes and proportions of horses
- They may be less or more varied, even then the final depictions are rated less realistic.

(D) Whether some people, such as certain doctors or surgeons, are more familiar with the shapes and proportions of hands than is the rest of the population
- This can be the case but we do not know whether only surgeons were looking at the depictions of hands. The paragraph simply talks about "people" generally.

(E) Whether, for the few depictions in which there was no disparity in the ratings made by equestrians and the rest of the study participants, the artists were also equestrians
- If Artists are also equestrians, then they would also be very familiar with horses, and if there is no disparity in ratings for those artists, then it must mean that equestrians will rate a depiction favourably if it is actually realistic -- goes against the conclusion that they will always rate it less realistic because they are too familiar with it. Conclusion weakens.
- If Artists are not equestrians, then the conclusion stands.

Correct answer: E

Attempted this as a part of the Christmas challenge (answers not revealed yet). Let me know if there is an error.
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Art critic: In a recent study, people were asked to rate how realistic they found depictions of horses created by expert artists. Equestrians—people who ride horses, and so are very familiar with their shape and proportion—almost always rated the depictions of horses made by expert artists as significantly less realistic than did the rest of the group. A similar phenomenon likely explains why even expert artists have noted the difficulty in creating depictions of human hands that audiences find realistic: People are intensely familiar with the shape and proportions of human hands.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the art critic’s conclusion?

(A) Whether the people rating artwork in the study included expert artists
(B) Whether expert artists consider horses at least as difficult to realistically depict as hands
(C) Whether the shapes and proportions of human hands are much less varied than the shapes and proportions of horses
(D) Whether some people, such as certain doctors or surgeons, are more familiar with the shapes and proportions of hands than is the rest of the population
(E) Whether, for the few depictions in which there was no disparity in the ratings made by equestrians and the rest of the study participants, the artists were also equestrians


Here, the conclusion of the Argument highlights that if the persons assessing a particular art work were 'strongly' familiar with the depicted art work, they will rate the art work as 'less realistic' even when created/ made by expert artists. However, those unfamiliar ie, the rest of the group will rate the art work as realistic.

The second premise regarding the depictions of human hands also alludes to the same conclusion.

Extending the same argument, it can be inferred that if the expert artists (for depictions of horses) are themselves equestrians , they will create art work as fully realistic, and will asSess the art work accordingly as realistic ie, in line with the rest of the study participants. Hence, there will be no disparity in the ratings made by equestrians and the rest of the study participants (as referred to in the Option (E))


Option (E) is the correct answer.
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Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Art critic: In a recent study, people were asked to rate how realistic they found depictions of horses created by expert artists. Equestrians—people who ride horses, and so are very familiar with their shape and proportion—almost always rated the depictions of horses made by expert artists as significantly less realistic than did the rest of the group. A similar phenomenon likely explains why even expert artists have noted the difficulty in creating depictions of human hands that audiences find realistic: People are intensely familiar with the shape and proportions of human hands.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the art critic’s conclusion?

(A) Whether the people rating artwork in the study included expert artists
(B) Whether expert artists consider horses at least as difficult to realistically depict as hands
(C) Whether the shapes and proportions of human hands are much less varied than the shapes and proportions of horses
(D) Whether some people, such as certain doctors or surgeons, are more familiar with the shapes and proportions of hands than is the rest of the population
(E) Whether, for the few depictions in which there was no disparity in the ratings made by equestrians and the rest of the study participants, the artists were also equestrians

 


This question was provided by Manhattan Prep
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win $40,000 in prizes: Courses, Tests & more

 


Was confused between D and E. Went with D.
D) at first i found irrelevant, but thought may it implies that like equestrians are more familiar with horses' shapes and proportions , similarly Surgeons / doc might be.

E i could not understand.
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Ver23
Bunuel
12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

Art critic: In a recent study, people were asked to rate how realistic they found depictions of horses created by expert artists. Equestrians—people who ride horses, and so are very familiar with their shape and proportion—almost always rated the depictions of horses made by expert artists as significantly less realistic than did the rest of the group. A similar phenomenon likely explains why even expert artists have noted the difficulty in creating depictions of human hands that audiences find realistic: People are intensely familiar with the shape and proportions of human hands.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the art critic’s conclusion?

(A) Whether the people rating artwork in the study included expert artists
(B) Whether expert artists consider horses at least as difficult to realistically depict as hands
(C) Whether the shapes and proportions of human hands are much less varied than the shapes and proportions of horses
(D) Whether some people, such as certain doctors or surgeons, are more familiar with the shapes and proportions of hands than is the rest of the population
(E) Whether, for the few depictions in which there was no disparity in the ratings made by equestrians and the rest of the study participants, the artists were also equestrians

 


This question was provided by Manhattan Prep
for the 12 Days of Christmas Competition

Win $40,000 in prizes: Courses, Tests & more

 


Was confused between D and E. Went with D.
D) at first i found irrelevant, but thought may it implies that like equestrians are more familiar with horses' shapes and proportions , similarly Surgeons / doc might be.

E i could not understand.

Hi there! I created this question. I hope you found it a good, if difficult, brain teaser. You would be surprised to know how much time and discussion goes into creating a question!

E is suggesting that the reason equestrians rated most depictions of horses as less realistic is *not*, in fact, because they are familiar with the shapes and proportions of horses, but because there is a *disparity* between them and most artists. E introduces the possibility that, when artists were also equestrians, equestrians and non-equestrians thought their depictions of horses were realistic. This hints that it's not 'familiarity' that makes horse depictions less realistic, but a 'familiarity gap' between audience and artist. But with hands, there is no 'familiarity gap.'

Imagine if, in the study, everyone, artist and audience, was an equestrian. E introduces the possibility in that case that the horse depictions would have been deemed more realistic by everyone, even though everyone is familiar with them. Well, everyone is also familiar with hands... but we *know* they look unrealistic to audiences. E hints that 'familiarity' with horses isn't really what causes depictions to be rated as less realistic, so it would make it less likely that 'familiarity with hands' is what causes their depictions to be seen as less realistic.
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