Self-paced
Going through the core curriculum, I am understanding that a huge part of WSE questions is understanding and recognizing assumptions the authors make in the stimulus. But I am having immense difficulty trying to do so. Anyone have any tips for getting better at this?
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Hello!
On top of what @SydneyGriffith's great advice, I would like to add that if you are having a difficult time identifying an assumption from the stimulus, check if it contains one of the most typical flaws (which is neatly organized in this cheat sheet). Does the author forget that there are more than two extreme options? Or does the author claim a causal relationship merely from a correlation? Or does the author make a conclusion that's way stronger (certainty) than what the premise allows (possibility)?
Not every stimulus for WSE questions may involve a typical flaw, but many of them do so it might help to recall some typical flaws when you feel stuck. I hope this helps, and good luck!
Hi! One thing that helps is reframing the approach a bit...recognizing that finding the assumption does not look like just magically noticing the hidden thing the author believes. It means slowing down and ask why the evidence does not fully prove the conclusion.
An exercise you can try is to put the argument into this sentence:
“The author concludes ___ because ___. But that only works if ___.”
That last blank is usually where the assumption exists.
For example, if an argument says:
“People who eat breakfast tend to be healthier. Therefore, eating breakfast causes better health.”
The author concludes that breakfast causes health because breakfast-eaters are healthier. But that only works if there is not some other explanation... maybe breakfast-eaters also exercise more, sleep more, have more money, or generally have healthier routines. So the assumption is something like, this pattern is not being caused by some third factor.
When approaching these questions, you can ask:
What is the conclusion?
What evidence does the author give?
Is there a gap between the evidence and conclusion?
What would make that gap worse? That is probably a weakener.
What would make that gap less bad? That is probably a strengthener.
What question would help me decide whether the gap matters? That is probably an evaluate answer.
I also think it helps to view it as the author making a slightly overconfident claim. Ask yourself: “Okay, even if everything this person said is true, why might their conclusion still be wrong?” That question is the heart of most WSE questions.
A practical way to improve on question types in general is to go through some of them untimed. Take your time to really break down the stimulus and understand each answer choice.