Scientific research at a certain university was supported in part by an annual grant from a major foundation. When th...
Rob DixonOctober 8, 2013
Is there a problem with this question stem?
The correct answer choice is A, but it seems in consistent with the question stem. If it is the case that answer choice A is the correct answer, then Choice A is an assumption that underlies the foundation's threat to pull its grant, not a flaw in foundation's conclusion. This leads me to think, based on answer choice A being correct, that the question stem should have pointed me to describing the flaw "underlying the University's conclusion."
Am I correct, or did I miss something here?
Rob
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The question stem for this question is: "Which one of the following describes a flaw in the reasoning underlying the foundation's conclusion?" The conclusion of the stimulus is: "the weapons research would not benefit from the foundation's grant." Why? Because the university promised that none of the foundation's money would be used for the weapons research. What the foundation is ignoring is the possibility that funds that might have gone towards humanitarian uses can now be funneled towards weapons research, since the money from the foundation can then replace this newly diverted, formerly humanitarian money.
Answer choice (A) clearly states the flaw. Now that the foundation is giving money to humanitarian uses, the money that the university had set aside for that purpose can be redirected towards weapons use; so the university has not used the foundation's money for weapons research, therein keeping its promise, yet indirectly allowing the foundation to further their weapons research.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Rob DixonOctober 11, 2013
Naz, I am interpreting that the University is making the conclusion, not the foundation (as the question-stem suggests), because the thing that the foundation ever does in the passage is threaten to pull funding, not conclude anything. I was hoping you could look at the question stem and determine if the error of reasoning should belongs to the foundation or to the University. I am not disputing as to whether choice A is correct, since it is the only one that makes any sense. Just that I believe there may be a type-o in the question stem.
Rob DixonOctober 11, 2013
Naz, disregard my last post. The clause in that is interjecting in the middle of the last statement assigns the conclusion to the foundation. I understand where I went wrong. Thanks.
