Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the

Question

Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the desire to make as great a profit as possible, and advertising helps businesses to achieve this goal. But it is clear that the motive of maximizing profits does not impel businesses to present accurate information in their advertisements. It follows that consumers should be skeptical of the claims made in advertisements.

Each of the following, if true, would strengthen the consumer advocate’s argument EXCEPT:

(A) Businesses know that they can usually maximize their profits by using inaccurate information in their advertisements.
(B) Businesses have often included inaccurate information in their advertisements.
(C) Many consumers have a cynical attitude toward advertising.
(D) Those who create advertisements are less concerned with the accuracy than with the creativity of advertisements.
(E) The laws regulating truth in advertising are not applicable to many of the most common forms of inaccurate advertising.

IanStewart · Answer

We want to strengthen an argument that concludes that "consumers should be skeptical of the claims made in advertisements". Answer A tells us that companies are motivated to make false claims, answer B tells us companies do make false claims, answer D tells us companies don't care much if they make false claims, and answer E tells us companies can get away with making false claims. So those answers all lend some support to the argument. But C does not - whether some consumers are suspicious of advertising has nothing necessarily to do with whether advertising itself is suspect.

Basim2016 · Answer

V good example of the crispy language used in CR to select the wrong choice, the semi finalist. D took some time to finally leave as A, B and E were out on the first reading. 
For selecting C, I took time to decide how much cynical mind will be different from a skeptical one, the former has psychological problem and the latter has experience problem . So, I selected C because it is the bad experience which is a bit under discussion. So C is the winner.

Nice question to learn.
Best Regards, 
Basim

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saurabh9gupta · Answer

The keyword is - does not strengthen

We need to find out a choice which does not strengthen the advocate's reasoning.

C does nothing to the reasoning.

prateekchugh · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

In a Strengthen EXCEPT question, the right answer
doesn’t have to be a weakener—it could also have no
effect on the argument.

According to the consumer advocate, we shouldn’t
trust the claims businesses make in their ads because
their primary motivation, turning a profit, isn’t an
incentive to tell the truth. Four of our choices will
provide additional evidence in support of that claim,
and one will not. That doesn’t mean the odd man out
has to weaken—it just can’t strengthen.

(A) strengthens the argument by indicating that
inaccurate ads will be rewarded with profits. If that’s
true, then businesses can be counted upon to lie, and
we ought to be skeptical.

(B) If inaccuracies occur often, then the consumer
advocate’s recommendation of skepticism becomes a
little more compelling. It offers empirical support for
the advocate’s claim. This is a strengthener.

(C), however, has no effect on the advocate’s
recommendation because that recommendation
doesn’t depend on consumers’ current attitudes
toward ads. (C) is the exception and therefore the
correct answer.

(D) suggests that the accuracy of ads is not a priority
for businesses, which indicates that the truth of those
ads should be questioned.

(E) removes one primary deterrent to inaccurate
advertising. If most inaccurate advertising isn’t
regulated by current law, businesses have no reason to
present accurate information, and consumers
therefore have a reason to be skeptical.

Gknight5603 · Answer

49 sec.

C... doesn't matter what the customers think.
customer thinking won't support the argument of customer advocate because advocate is himself saying that companies try to manipulate the customers

Posted from my mobile device

Rukia · Answer

No. Being cynical means being skeptical.

wenlong · Answer

The article says that consumers should have...While C says that many consumers have...there is a difference between should have and have.

saarthakkhanna04 · Answer

I solved this question with striking out method but I am still not convinced with answer. C actually does strength only other strength more, right?

unraveled · Answer

Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the desire to make as great a profit as possible, and advertising helps businesses to achieve this goal. But it is clear that the  motive of maximizing profits does not impel businesses to present accurate information in their advertisements . It follows that  consumers should be skeptical of the claims made in advertisements.

Each of the following, if true, would strengthen the consumer advocate’s argument EXCEPT:

Blue text is conclusion. With highlighted text in mind we need to find what would not lead to strengthen our conclusion.

(A)  Businesses  know that they can  usually maximize their profits by using inaccurate information  in their advertisements. - WRONG. Strengthens. Presents a reason for consumers's skepticism. 
(B)  Businesses  have  often included inaccurate information  in their advertisements. - WRONG. Strengthens. Presents a reason for consumers's skepticism.
(C) Many consumers have a cynical attitude toward advertising. - CORRECT. What attitude they already have does not make much difference.
(D) Those who create advertisements are  less concerned with the accuracy  than with the creativity of advertisements. - WRONG. 
(E) The  laws regulating truth in advertising are not applicable to many of the most common forms of inaccurate advertising . - WRONG.

Answer C.

agrasan · Answer

Hi  KarishmaB   MartyMurray   GMATNinja

I understood why A, B, D, E are wrong but not sure why option C is the correct one.
Is it correct because customers' current attitude towards the advertising by businesses doesn't have any impact on the recommendation?

Please let me know if I am missing any important thinking here.

KarishmaB · Answer

What is the advocate's argument?

- That consumers should be skeptical of the claims made in advertisements.

What will strengthen it? Give us reason to believe that yes, consumers should be skeptical?  
 Options (A), (B), (D) and (E) give us reasons to believe that Ads could be lying.

Option (C) just says that many consumers are skeptical. That doesn't give any support to the recommendation that consumers should be skeptical.

If I say people should drink 2 lts water everyday, how can I strengthen it? I can say water makes up 70% of your body. It is needed to flush out toxins etc. 
 If I say many people do drink 2 lts water everyday, have I strengthened it? No.

Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the

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Consumer advocate: Businesses are typically motivated primarily by the

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