Hey guys, hopefully last weekend has been productive and relaxing for all. I had a break but turned out to be a heavy weekend. I've updated the answers to UMAT Section 2 questions that I left at the end of last week in the same post - you can check your answers for UMAT SECTION 2: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Aside from that, let's start exploring UMAT together!.
Assumption Questions
An assumption question connects the gap between an argument's evidence and conclusion. It helps support and connects the argument/main key point of the text. It is also known as "The Missing Link" in questions where some arguments lack an important bridge between their evidence and their conclusion. This bridge is the necessary assumption. It is a piece of support that isn't explicitly stated, but required for the conclusion to remain valid.
In order to test whether a statement is necessarily assumed by an author, we can employ the "Denial Test". Simply deny and negate the statement and see whether the argument falls. If the argument falls, then the choice is the correct assumption [Why? It's because the assumption holds the argument's evidence and conclusion!!] Likewise, if the argument is unaffected by the Denial Test, the choice is incorrect. Let's consider this simple example:
April plays basketball for Saint Marry High School. Therefore, April must be more than 6 feet tall.
Now let's test whether this assumption is true in the argument by applying the Denial Test through negation. What if it's not true that all volleyball players for Saint Marry High School are more than 6 feet tall? Can we still logically conclude that April must be taller than 6 feet? No, we can't. Sure that it's possible she could be more than 6 feet, but just as possible she's not. By denying the statement, the argument becomes examinable bits of pieces; which potentially no longer valid. And that's our conclusive proof that the statement above is a necessary assumption of this argument.
Strengthen and Weaken Questions
Determining an argument's necessary assumption is required to answer assumption questions. In addition it is required for another common question type: strengthening and weakening argument questions. One way to weaken an argument is to break down a central piece of evidence. Another way is to attack the validity of any assumptions the author may be making. Let's take the same stimulus we used before, but look at it in the context of these question types:
April plays basketball for Saint Marry High School. Therefore, April must be more than 6 feet tall.
Remember the assumption holding this argument together? It was that all basketball players for Saint Marry High School are more than 6 feet tall. That's the assumption that makes/breaks the argument. So, if the question asked you to weaken the argument, you'd want to attack that assumption:
Which one of the following, if true would most weaken the argument?
Answer: Not all basketball players at Saint Marry High School are more than 6 feet tall.
We are required to doubt the author's basic assumption, thus breaking the argument's validity. But what do I mean about strengthening the argument? In the same way, the key is the necessary assumption:
Which of the following, if true would most strengthen the argument?
Answer: All basketball players at Saint Marry High School are more than 6 feet tall.
Here, by making explicit the author's central assumption we in effect strengthen the argument.
Tip
- Weakening an argument does not mean disproving it, while strengthening does not mean proving the conclusion to be true. The wording of the question types always takes the form "Which one of the following, if true, would most [weaken/strengthen] the argument?". The if true part means you have to accept the truth of the choice right from the onset, no matter how unlikely it sounds to you.
From here you have now experienced a light feel to Logic Games that UMAT has offers in it's test. We'll definitely cover that later.
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