We are told that Ian Raghnall's article relied on a survey in which over half the couples applying for divorces listed "money" as a major problem in their marriages. From this survey, Raghnall concluded that financial problems are the major problem in marriages and an important factor contributing to the high divorce rate.
However, we are told that couples usually express other categories of marital problems in financial terms. So, the data that Raghnall used actually does not establish that the major problem of contemporary marriages is financial problems.
Thus, the conclusion in Raghnall's article is based off of an inaccurate read of the data in the survey, since he determined that the data established that money was a major problem in marriages, whereas the survey data did not establish this.
Answer choice (C) states: "The conclusion drawn in Raghnall's article is inadequately justified."
This is the correct answer because Raghnall justifies the conclusion in his article on his inaccurate interpretation of the survey data. Raghnall believed the survey data established that money was a major problem in marriages, whereas the survey data did not actually establish this since "couples often expressed other types of marital frustrations in financial terms," thereby skewing the survey to seem as though the main problem of contemporary marriages was financial problems.
Answer choice (E) states: "Many articles wrongly claim that financial problems are the major factor contributing to the divorce rate."
We only know that Raghnall's article stated that financial problems are an important factor contributing to the high divorce rate. We do not know whether others also believe this. We have only been given information about Raghnall's article, whose conclusion is based on inaccurate interpretation of data from a recent survey.
Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
rolltribeJuly 14, 2015
So is the issue that we can't trust the people who were surveyed because they are known to classify issues that aren't really financial issues as financial issues?
Also, if the data in the surgery was accurately interpreted, then what would be the conclusion/main point?
NazJuly 15, 2015
Yes, exactly. You have correctly identified the issue.
If the data in the survey was accurately interpreted then the second half of the stimulus would not have been presented to us and our conclusion would have just been Raghnall's conclusion.
Hope that helped! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
stormbeelerAugust 29, 2015
Great explanation! I finally arrived at the right answer will spending some time stuck between it and (E) as well just for peace of mind, E is wrong because it uses many and the question stem only mentions Raghnall correct? Thank you!
NazSeptember 3, 2015
Exactly! Nice work.
alymathieuAugust 13, 2018
I'm a bit confused. The question literally states that "like a number of other articles," so we do in fact know about other articles
MichelleRodAugust 17, 2018
Thanks for your question @alymathieu
The only thing that we know about the "other articles" is that they relied on a recent survey. We do not know what claims the other articles are making based not he survey - we only know Raghnall is claiming.
