Self-study
Support Bank deposits are credited on the date of the transaction only when they are made before 3 P.M. Support Alicia knows that the bank deposit was made before 3 P.M. So, Conclusion Alicia knows that the bank deposit was credited on the date of the transaction.
Method of Reasoning
Since bank deposits are credited on the same day as the transaction only when the transaction is before 3 p.m., and Alicia knows the deposit was before 3 p.m., Alicia knows the deposit was credited on the same date as the transaction.
Identify and Describe Flaw
There are two flaws in this argument. The first is a cookie-cutter “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw. Bank deposits are only credited on the date of the transaction when the transaction was before 3 p.m. In Alicia’s case, the deposit was before 3 p.m. Was the transaction credited on the date of the transaction? We don’t know. Just because the necessary condition (that the transaction was before 3 p.m.) was confirmed, that doesn’t mean the sufficient condition (that the deposit was credited on the same day as the transaction) was confirmed.
The second flaw is a cookie-cutter “belief v. facts” flaw. The argument says that “Alicia knows” the bank deposit was credited on the day of the transaction because the transaction was before 3 p.m. How do we know what Alicia knows? We don’t. She may be unaware that transactions completed before 3 p.m. may be credited on the day of the transaction.
21.
Which one of the following ████████ ████ ██ ███ ███████ █████ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████
a
Journalists are the ████ ████ ███ ████ ██ █████████ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ███ █████ ███████████ █████ ████████ ██ █ ███████████ ███ ████ ██ █████████ ██ ███ ██████████
(A) contains the “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw (that since only journalists will be permitted to ask questions, Marjorie will be permitted). However, (A) is missing the “belief v. facts” flaw.
b
We know that ███████ █████ ████ ██ █████████ █████ ██ █████████ ██ ██ ███████ ████ ███████ ██ ███████ ██████
(B) contains the “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw (that since Patrice only works on Thursday, and today is Thursday, Patrice is working). However, (B) is missing the “belief v. facts” flaw.
c
It is clear ████ ██████ █████ ██ ████ ██ ████████ ██ █████ ███████████ ███████ ██████ ████ ██ ████████ ██ █████ ██████████ ████ ██ █████ ████████ ███ ██████ █████ █████ ████ ███████
The argument starts with the “belief v. facts” flaw (that George knows he’ll be promoted), then moves to the “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw (that George will be promoted only if Helen resigns, and he knows Helen will resign, so George will be promoted). (C) commits both of the same flaws as the argument in the stimulus.
d
John believes that █ ██ █ █████ ██████ ███ ████ █ ██ █████████ ██ ██ █████ ████ ████████ ████ █████ ██ █ █████ ██████ █████████ ██ ██
(D) contains the “belief v. facts” flaw (that since John believes 4 is a prime number and that 4 is divisible by 2, John must believe that there’s a prime number divisible by 2). However, (D) is missing the “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw.
e
Pat wants to ██████ █ ██████ ███████ ██ ██ ████ █████ ████ ██████ ███████ ███ ██████ █████ ███ ██████████ █████ ██ ██ ██████ █████
(E) contains the “belief v. facts” flaw (that since it’s well known that social workers are poorly paid, and Pat wants to become a social worker, Pat must want to be poorly paid). However, (E) is missing the “confusing necessary and sufficient conditions” flaw.