The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely predicted to result in a corresponding decline in television viewing. Recent studies...
GMAT Critical Reasoning : (CR) Questions
The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely predicted to result in a corresponding decline in television viewing. Recent studies have found that, in the United States, people who own computers watch, on average, significantly less television than people who do not own computers. In itself, however, this finding does very little to show that computer use tends to reduce television viewing time, since ______.
Which of the following most logically completes the argument?
Passage Analysis:
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| The growing popularity of computer-based activities was widely predicted to result in a corresponding decline in television viewing. |
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| Recent studies have found that, in the United States, people who own computers watch, on average, significantly less television than people who do not own computers. |
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| In itself, however, this finding does very little to show that computer use tends to reduce television viewing time, since ______. |
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Argument Flow:
"The argument starts with a prediction, presents evidence that seems to support it, but then the author points out that this evidence doesn't actually prove what we think it proves. We need to complete the argument by explaining why the evidence is flawed."
Main Conclusion:
"The study findings don't prove that computer use reduces TV viewing time"
Logical Structure:
"This is a 'weakening the evidence' structure. The author accepts the study data but argues it doesn't support the causal connection between computer ownership and reduced TV watching. We need to identify what alternative explanation makes the evidence unreliable for proving causation."
Prethinking:
Question type:
Logically Completes - We need to find what logically fills in the blank to explain why the study findings don't prove that computer use reduces TV viewing time
Precision of Claims
The key claim is that computer owners watch significantly less TV than non-owners, but this doesn't prove computers cause reduced TV viewing. We need to identify why this correlation doesn't establish causation.
Strategy
Look for alternative explanations that could account for the correlation between computer ownership and less TV watching. The correct completion should explain why we can't conclude that computers cause people to watch less TV, even though computer owners do watch less TV.