Critical Reasoning: Conclusion Weakening Questions
Economist A: Banks offer only small interest rates for money being stored in savings accounts. It is much better to create an investment portfolio with a financial management company in order to take advantage of money that has been put aside.
Economist B: Investments require speculation. I advise that at the moment, storing money in a bank savings account is the wise thing to do.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens economist A's advice?
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice weakens Economist B's support for bank savings accounts and, therefore, indirectly supports Economist A's claim. It does so by highlighting the costs of having a savings account. Remember, the question stem requires that you weaken Economist A's claim.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice weakens Economist B's support for bank savings accounts and, therefore, supports Economist A's claim. It does so by presenting a disadvantage of having a savings account. Remember, the question stem requires that you weaken Economist A's claim.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice supports Economist A's claim, but you are required to weaken it. By stating that investment portfolios reduce the risk and maximize profits we are led to believe that they may be safer than previously imagined and, therefore, perhaps better than bank savings accounts.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice directly weakens Economist B's response by presenting an actual case where customers lost money they had put into banks, thereby promoting the alternative option in the argument - to invest the money.
Yes!
[[snippet]]This answer choice presents data that directly weakens Economist A's viewpoint by revealing the fact that the great majority of the investments of the last 3 years have lost money.
