ISAT Identifying Assumptions in Arguments 4

Question 1

Argument: 'We should hire Candidate A because she graduated from the most prestigious university.' What assumption underlies this recommendation?

Accepted Answer

University prestige is a reliable predictor of job performance relevant to this position

Answer

The argument assumes prestige of institution correlates with the candidate's ability to perform well in this specific role.

Question 2

Argument: 'Our survey found that 80% of respondents prefer Brand X; Brand X is therefore the most preferred product in the market.' What assumption is present?

Accepted Answer

Survey respondents are representative of the entire market population

Answer

The argument assumes the survey sample accurately reflects all consumers, ignoring potential sampling bias.

Question 3

Argument: 'Patients given Medication Y recovered faster than those who received no treatment; Medication Y must therefore accelerate recovery.' What assumption is this making?

Accepted Answer

The recovery difference was not due to placebo effect, spontaneous recovery, or other confounding variables

Answer

The argument assumes the observed difference is due to the medication itself rather than other explanations like the placebo effect or natural recovery rates.

Question 4

Argument: 'Because this policy has worked in Sweden, it will work in the United States.' What assumption does this rely on?

Accepted Answer

The conditions relevant to the policy's success are sufficiently similar between the two countries

Answer

The argument assumes that the contextual factors enabling the policy's success in Sweden also exist in the United States.

Question 5

Argument: 'This charity has a low administrative overhead ratio, so donating to it is the best use of charitable funds.' What assumption is made?

Accepted Answer

Low administrative costs are the most important indicator of a charity's effectiveness and impact

Answer

The argument assumes overhead ratio is the primary or sufficient measure of charitable value, ignoring program effectiveness or impact per dollar.

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT Identifying Assumptions in Arguments 4