The number of articles concerning the use of sensatorium dummies in

Question

The number of articles concerning the use of sensatorium dummies in crash testing published last year in consumer magazines was considerably lower relative to prior years. No longer manufactured, these dummies can be severely damaged in crash tests and many of the sensatorium dummies damaged two years ago are still awaiting necessary repairs. It is clear, therefore, that the lower number of consumer magazine articles published last year about sensatorium dummies was due to the decline in their availability for use.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the news reporter's argument?

(A) All articles about crash tests involving sensatorium dummies that were submitted for publication last year were published. 
 (B) The average time that crash test managers must wait to use a sensatorium dummy has increased over the past few years. 
 (C) The number of consumer magazines on the market was the same last year as in prior years. 
 (D) Sensatorium dummies cannot be utilized for more than one cycle of crash tests in a given year. 
 (E) Responding to competition, most consumer magazines began last year by introducing a new format limiting their former emphasis on crash test articles.

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dkpkoti · Answer

Conclusion:  - the  lower number of consumer magazine articles published  last year about sensatorium dummies was due to  the decline in their availability for use.

in order to weaken the argument , we need to look for an answer that present an alternative explanation for the lower number of consumer magazine article. which is fulfilled by  option E

siddhantvarma · Answer

The argument claims that the lower number of articles about sensatorium dummies in crash tests is due to their decreased availability.
We know that:
 - Fewer articles were published last year compared to prior years.
 - Sensatorium dummies are no longer manufactured.
 - Many dummies damaged two years ago are still awaiting repairs.

We need to find an alternative explanation for the decrease in articles or challenge the connection between availability and article count to weaken this argument.

Option E is the strongest choice to weaken the argument. If consumer magazines changed their format to limit their focus on crash test articles in general, this could explain the decrease in articles about sensatorium dummies without relying on the availability of the dummies themselves. 
This alternative explanation challenges the causal link in the original argument between dummy availability and article count, thus significantly weakening the reporter's conclusion.

Therefore, the best answer is E.

Krunaal · Answer

(E) This provides an alternative explanation for the decline in articles, indicating that the reduction in articles was due to a shift in focus by consumer magazines rather than a lack of availability of sensatorium dummies. This seriously weakens the reporter's argument by suggesting that the cause was related to editorial choices rather than dummy availability.

Answer E.

Answer E.

GmatSonam · Answer

E, this option an alternate to why consumer magazines publishing less articles than before

Bunuel · Answer

Official Explanation

The words "most seriously weakens" indicate that this is a Weaken question. The correct answer will make it less likely that the conclusion follows from the stated evidence.

The reporter concludes that the short supply of dummies is the reason for the lower number of magazine articles published about the dummies. His evidence is simply an observed correlation: there aren't as many sensatorium dummies available lately, and fewer consumer magazine articles were published last year about the dummies.

The author is assuming there is no other explanation for the lower number of magazine articles. A GMAT argument is weakened by a choice that attacks the assumption. Here, the correct choice will suggest some other reason for the lower number of magazine articles besides the short supply of dummies.

(E) is correct, suggesting some other reason for the lower number of magazine articles, and therefore attacking the author's assumption. A magazine format change is the reason for fewer articles on crash tests, not the number of dummies being used.

(A) is incorrect because the argument is about why a lower number of articles were published, not submitted for publication. (A) doesn't indicate whether the magazines wanted more articles about dummies submitted or whether they would have published more articles about dummies had they been submitted. Without more information, (A) says nothing about the reason there were fewer articles published.

(B) just elaborates on the evidence that the dummies are in short supply. But it doesn't make a connection with the number of articles published.

(C) is a 180, since it gets rid of a potential alternative explanation. Had the number of magazines on the market decreased, that could have explained the lower number of articles published last year on the dummies. Since the number of magazines did not decrease, the reporter's explanation is at least a little more likely to be correct.

(D) doesn't affect the argument, because it has nothing to do with why there would be a drop in articles last year and not in previous years. The fact about the dummies described in (D) applied in previous years as well.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The number of articles concerning the use of sensatorium dummies in

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