Question 57·Hard·Inferences
In an assessment of the impact of telecommuting, analysts compared the productivity of employees who elected to work from home with that of employees compelled to do so because their offices were being refurbished. The analysts assumed that the two groups were equally motivated but failed to consider that employees forced into remote work might resent the situation. Consequently, the analysts’ conclusion that telecommuting universally increases productivity ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT logical-completion questions, identify the conclusion (often marked by words like "therefore" or "consequently"), then pinpoint the specific assumption or flaw the text highlights. Choose the option that directly states how that flaw affects the conclusion, and eliminate choices that introduce different criticisms or shift the argument’s focus.
Hints
Find the conclusion and the word that signals it
Look for the word that indicates a result or conclusion, such as "consequently." What statement do the analysts reach after that word?
Focus on what the analysts "failed to consider"
The passage says the analysts assumed the groups were equally motivated but "failed to consider" something else. What is it?
Link that oversight to productivity
If one group might resent telecommuting, what effect could that have on their productivity and on the analysts’ sweeping conclusion?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
You are asked to choose the statement that most logically completes the argument. That means you must:
- Identify the analysts’ conclusion.
- Identify the specific flaw the passage highlights.
- Choose the option that explains how that flaw affects the conclusion.
Identify the analysts’ conclusion and the stated flaw
The conclusion is signaled by "Consequently": the analysts concluded that telecommuting universally increases productivity.
The passage then highlights a reasoning problem:
- The analysts assumed the two groups were equally motivated.
- But they failed to consider that employees compelled to work remotely might resent the situation.
So the groups may differ in attitude in a way that affects productivity.
Connect the flaw to the conclusion
If forced telecommuters resent working from home, that negative attitude could lower their productivity.
If productivity is influenced by resentment (not just by telecommuting itself), then the analysts’ broad claim about telecommuting’s effect on productivity may not be reliable.
Select the choice that matches this critique
The correct completion must say the conclusion is questionable because it ignores the possibility that involuntary telecommuters’ resentment could reduce their productivity.
Therefore, the best choice is: is potentially invalid because it overlooks how negative attitudes among involuntary telecommuters may depress their productivity.