As part of survey, approximately 10,000 randomly selected

Question

As part of survey, approximately 10,000 randomly selected individuals were telephoned and asked a number of questions about their income and savings. Those conducting the survey observed that the older the person being queried, the more likely it was that he or she would refuse to answer any of the questions. This finding clearly demonstrates that, in general, people are more willing when they are younger than when they are older to reveal personal financial information to strangers over the telephone.

The argument above is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument

A) offers no evidence that the individuals queried would have responded differently had they been asked the same questions in years prior to the survey
B) fails to specify the exact number of people who were telephoned as part of the survey.
C) assumes without warrant that age is the main determinant of personal income and savings levels
D) assumes from the outset what it purports to establish on the basis of a body of statistical evidence
E) provides no reason to beleive that what is true of a given age group in general is also true of all individuals within that age group.

gotoknow3 · Answer

Only A & E are relevant;E is my pick

Arsene_Wenger · Answer

it's (E). 
the question is a typical sample trap. it's always good to zero-in on samples when you see questions of that type. well, that's my technique. a trait in a representative sample does not mean that virtually everyone in that sample will possess the same trait.

sravna · Answer

I am inclined towards A because the sample
might not have revealed the true picture and 
the people who declined to answer might have 
done the same if they had been asked the same 
questions years before.

riteshgupta1 · Answer

I am towards A.

E is also good. Which is typically a good way to make the argument less plausible. The technique is "data is represntative of the whole group".

Conclusion : Older people are not likely to reveal information to strangers as yougers do.

The argument is very loose and the wordings are loose. The auther uses the word "would likely" to set forth the evidance and then gives a very strong conclusion.

OE will help.

jamesrwrightiii · Answer

A it is!

gmataquaguy · Answer

The OA is A. I narrowed down the AC to A and D. I eliminated AC E on the basis that the conclusion NEVER talks about "all" people within an age group. It just says, in general  ,.......

Question: Doesnt the fact that "those conducting the survey  observed " lead one to ask the question: assumes from the outset what it purports to establish on the basis of a body of statistical evidence?

gmataquaguy · Answer

Can someone answer my query please?

riteshgupta1 · Answer

I think the stats will come into picture when you have a full data set. If the argument were to establish the claim by throwing numbers, such as 48% says this and 32% say that Or amost 2/3 of the people suryed answers....

But just by observing the fact, argument does not establish anything.

ranga41 · Answer

It is easy to reject D, becasue it does not assume from the beginning what the passage says, it first provides statistical evidence and then states its assumption.  Observed  does not mean  assumed .

popew626 · Answer

Concur. Observed doesn't mean assumed. It more or less means "their results were... or "they recorded the following results..."

As part of survey, approximately 10,000 randomly selected

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