Any tips for LR - Weakening questions?

Austin7sage

I've tried time and again, but I'm just not grasping this weakening concept. Especially if the stem is asking me to find the correct answer, "if true". I don't know why, but everything I've learned in MSS has me wired to not believe these.

In addition, trying to find the support between the Premise and Conclusion is leaving me blank and lost.

Any tips?

Austin7sage

Leaving this up in case it helps anyone else struggling with the same issue I had.

I found that I took the reference to support and looking to attack the non-existent assumptions rather than attacking the premise or conclusion. Despite natural reactions to an argument, I thought I was looking for an answer that didn't reference the premises or conclusion ( I know, a silly mistake ).

Hope this helps.

WinningHere

I understand. It sounds like you may be on the precipice of a breakthrough. Try focusing on the conclusion if nothing else, and ask " how can I argue against this". It is important to remember you do not have to prove the conclusion, but just weaken the support between the premise and conclusion, and typically an alternate explanation is the best answer choice here.

TJTJTJTJ

Here's a simple solution to Weakening questions....

John suddenly has a Bugatti, Ferrari, fancy clothes, Rolex, and $5,000 shoes. He must have won the lottery.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument?

A) John found all of those things on the street and kept them for himself.
B ) John was gifted those things by a charity.
C) John's invested 20k in a start up company 10 years ago that recently went public which gave him a 100x return and he sold his shares.
D) John bought these things on a credit card.
E) John paid for these things from his 25k per year job.

Think about which one of those would attack the conclusion that he won the lottery? What's an alternate explanation? You don't have to destroy the conclusion, you just need to have a better and suitable alternative explanation for why he all of a sudden has expensive things.

arlenexzy

Always, try to make your prediction broader.