Critical Reasoning: Assumption Questions
Two new breeds of freshwater fish will soon be introduced onto the market. The Trident Flick fish is rich in vitamins and iron, and the tastiest fish available while the fattier Lackey is abundant and caught easily, making it the cheaper of the two. In a recent survey, consumers of poultry products rated nutritional value as the most important factor influencing their decision on which product to buy. It can be deduced that the sales figures for the Trident fish will be much higher than those for the Lackey.
Which of the following is an assumption underlying the conclusion?
Correct.
[[snippet]]Based on the fact that consumers buy poultry according to its nutritional value, the author concludes that the fish with the more superior nutritional value will sell better. To reach this conclusion, the author assumes consumers buy fish and poultry according to the same standards.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice presents a new premise about the fishing industry. This information is irrelevant to our task: finding the assumption the author had to make to link the premises to the conclusion.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice presents a new premise about consumer awareness. This information is irrelevant to our task: finding the assumption the author had to make to link the premises to the conclusion.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]Even if this were the author's assumption, there is nothing in the premises which clearly indicates consumers are generally more concerned about health (poultry is a specific case), so while this may support the conclusion, it does not explain how it was drawn from the premises.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]The author draws the conclusion based on the premise that people buy poultry according to its nutritional value; therefore, he or she does not need to make a broad assumption about consumers habits in general - there is already a fact to work with.
Try to find a an answer choice that connects the conclusion to all premises, not just some.
