PTC.S3.Q9 - Please Help!!

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• 2 Likes

  Jonathan Wang Yearly Sage ⭐

  July 2021 edited July 2021 6866 karma

  MLSAT isn't saying that a poll can never be unrepresentative. They're saying that you can't make that your flaw accusation without better proof. Here, you're essentially guessing at whether a sample of 125 CEOs of large corporations is representative of top management behavior or not. You're taking for granted that a survey of 125 CEOs can't possibly reflect the behavior of top management in general, but what's your basis for that assertion? The situation is not nearly clear enough to make that kind of claim with any kind of confidence.

  But more importantly, the issue here is that before you even reach the question of sampling, the argument has already committed a massive error. While these CEOs can say whatever they want, their actions are how you actually judge the circumstance in question. The argument, in short, says: CEOs claim to care about employees. Therefore, CEOs behave like they care about employees (or, more technically accurate - it's wrong to think that CEOs behave like they don't care about their employees). But how do I prove a statement about how CEOs act with a statement about what CEOs claim to value? I can swear up and down that I hate Taylor Swift's music, but if you find me bopping along to her tunes in private, what does that say? This is a massive and unquestionable structural issue.

  Put another way, it's possible that the error stated in E is happening, and it's possible that it's not - we'd need further factual inquiry to clear it up. But the author definitely makes the error in D, and that error is the core structural issue with the argument, which makes it correct answer to the question.

  (Edited for additional clarity)
• 1 Like

  cklomoooooo-1 Member

  July 2021 128 karma

  Thank you, my expected flaw(E) is hard to prove based on the argument, whereas (D) points out what the argument is doing directly.

  @"Jonathan Wang" said:
  MLSAT isn't saying that a poll can never be unrepresentative. They're saying that you can't make that your flaw accusation without better proof. Here, you're essentially guessing at whether a sample of 125 CEOs of large corporations is representative of top management behavior or not. You're taking for granted that a survey of 125 CEOs can't possibly reflect the behavior of top management in general, but what's your basis for that assertion? The situation is not nearly clear enough to make that kind of claim with any kind of confidence.

  The provable issue here is that while these CEOs can say whatever they want, their actions are how you actually judge the circumstance in question. The argument, in short, says: CEOs claim to care about employees. Therefore, CEOs behave like they care about employees (or, more technically accurate - it's wrong to think that CEOs behave like they don't care about their employees). But who cares what the CEOs say if they're not backing it up with actions? I can swear up and down that I hate Taylor Swift's music, but if you find me bopping along to her tunes in private, what does that say about my initial statement?

  Put another way, it's possible that the error stated in E is happening, and it's possible that it's not - we'd need further factual inquiry to clear it up. But the author definitely makes the error in D, which makes it correct answer to the question.
• 3 Likes

  canihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐

  July 2021 8318 karma

  @"Jonathan Wang" said:
  I can swear up and down that I hate Taylor Swift's music, but if you find me bopping along to her tunes in private, what does that say?

  There are two types of people in this world–those who like Taylor Swift, and those who lie about it.
• Help2222 Member

  July 2021 240 karma

  Interesting argument above, I was down to answer choice (B) and ( D). The gap is what is whether top management practices what they preach. This is reflected in answer choice (D), more so that in answer choice (B); which goes out on a limb.