Official Solution:Researchers claim that analogical thinking causes scientific discoveries. They used the works of famous scientists in an attempt to prove that analogy brings about creativity and thereby changes in knowledge. They continued to argue that distant analogies those scientists used could develop a new framework in a certain domain or even form a new domain - the more distant the analogies, the more creative the outcomes.
Which of the following statements, if true, makes the first claim made by the researchers vulnerable to criticism?
A. Creativity is a particular sort of response that results from bringing together apparently irrelevant or remote ideas.
B. Highly creative people frequently use analogy methods to solve problems.
C. Analogical interpretations play a key role in arriving at many scientific empirical formulae.
D. Analogy items are frequently used in IQ tests to measure analytical ability of a person.
E. Analytical ability is a more important factor in scientific discoveries than creativity.
We need an option that weakens the cause and effect relation (the claim of the researchers) as follows:
Analogical thinking → creativity → discoveries. (ref: first and second sentence of the passage: “analogical thinking causes scientific discoveries” and “analogy brings about creativity and thereby changes in knowledge”).
Now focus on the first part of this cause and effect chain: Analogical thinking → creativity. The claim is that analogical thinking brings about creativity. However option B states the following:
Creativity → analogical thinking → discoveries.
Again focus on the first part of this cause and effect chain - Creativity → analogical thinking. “Highly creative people frequently use analogy methods”, i.e. analogy is not the cause of creativity, but the reasoning is the other way round: creativity causes analogical thinking.
One frequently used trap in GMAT for weakening question is as follows:
A and B occurs together. Conclusion A causes B.
Weakening statement: B causes A.
Here A = analogical thinking and B = creativity.
A. Bringing together apparently irrelevant or remote ideas is what analogical thinking is. Statement A implies that creativity is a result of analogical thinking, in turn leading to discoveries. It is just a restatement of the claim of the researchers (Analogical thinking → creativity —> discoveries), and hence does not weaken the claim.
B. CORRECT. The point of the argument is that analogical thinking brings about creativity which in turn results in scientific discoveries. However, Statement B implies that creativity brings about analogical thinking and not the other way round and therefore weakens the claim of the researchers.
C. This statement supports the argument, implying that analogical thinking causes derivation of many scientific empirical formulae.
D. This statement attempts to establish a correlation between IQ and analogy. However the point is to compare creativity with analogical thinking. Hence this option is out of context.
E. This statement presents a relation between creativity and analytical ability. However the point is to compare creativity with analogical thinking. Hence this option is out of context.
There is no mention of "analogical thinking" in option E and hence nothing can be concluded about the relation between analogical thinking, creativity and discovery. A totally different aspect (analytical thinking) is discussed in this option, which does not have any bearing to the first claim.
Answer: B