AWA Evaluating Evidence and Assumptions 5

Question 1

An argument states: 'Our product was rated #1 in a survey — more customers prefer it than any other brand.' The survey sampled only visitors to the company's own website. What is the primary flaw?

Accepted Answer

The sample is self-selected from people already interested in the company's product, creating bias

Answer

Sampling only the company's website visitors overrepresents existing fans and excludes neutral or competing-brand customers, making the result unrepresentative.

Question 2

What is a 'necessary assumption' in an AWA argument?

Accepted Answer

An assumption that the argument cannot be valid without

Answer

A necessary assumption is one the argument logically depends on; if the assumption is false, the conclusion cannot follow from the evidence.

Question 3

An argument concludes: 'Because Region A has both high income levels and high education rates, income causes higher education.' What flaw is present?

Accepted Answer

The direction of causality is unestablished — education might cause higher income instead

Answer

The argument assumes income drives education, but the relationship could run in the opposite direction or both could be driven by a third factor.

Question 4

Which technique best helps identify hidden assumptions in an AWA argument?

Accepted Answer

Asking what must be true between the evidence and conclusion for the argument to work

Answer

Asking what must be true for the evidence to support the conclusion reveals the unstated assumptions bridging the two.

Question 5

A report argues: 'Test scores at schools that adopted the new curriculum rose by 10%. Those that kept the old curriculum saw scores drop by 5%.' Why might this evidence still be insufficient to prove the curriculum caused the difference?

Accepted Answer

Schools that adopted the new curriculum may have differed from others in funding, demographics, or teacher quality

Answer

If the two groups of schools differ systematically in confounding factors, the curriculum cannot be isolated as the sole cause of the score difference.

(AWA) Analytical Writing Assessment Practice Test

(AWA) Analytical Writing Assessment Practice Test

AWA Evaluating Evidence and Assumptions 5