Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Necessary Assumptions

Retail Analyst: A regional hardware store recently replaced all its traditional cashier lanes with self-service checkout kiosks in an attempt to speed up the checkout process. However, since the transition, the average time a customer spends in the checkout area has actually increased by 15 percent. This shows that the self-service kiosks process individual purchases more slowly than the traditional cashiers did.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the retail analyst's argument depends?

  1. A
    Every customer who uses the self-service kiosks takes longer to complete their purchase than they would have if assisted by a traditional cashier.
  2. B
    Traditional cashiers were highly trained in processing complex hardware purchases quickly.
  3. C
    Customers typically purchase a significantly larger number of items per store visit since the self-service kiosks were installed.
  4. The recent increase in the average time customers spend in the checkout area is not entirely attributable to customers waiting longer in line before starting their transactions.Answer
  5. E
    Most customers prefer the convenience of self-service kiosks despite the longer time spent in the checkout area.

Answer

The recent increase in the average time customers spend in the checkout area is not entirely attributable to customers waiting longer in line before starting their transactions.
The argument uses an increase in the overall time spent in the checkout area to conclude that the actual processing of transactions has slowed down. However, the overall time in the checkout area consists of both the time spent waiting in line and the time spent processing the transaction. For the conclusion to hold true, the author must assume that the increase in total time was not solely caused by an increase in waiting time. If the increase was entirely due to longer lines, the processing speed might have stayed the same or even improved, which would completely invalidate the conclusion. Therefore, this assumption is strictly necessary.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conclusion of the argument.
The conclusion is that self-service kiosks process individual purchases more slowly than traditional cashiers did.
Understanding the main point is required to evaluate what the argument needs to be true.
2
Identify the premise supporting the conclusion.
The premise is that the total average time a customer spends in the checkout area has increased by 15 percent since the kiosks were installed.
This establishes the evidence used to draw the conclusion.
3
Find the logical gap between the premise and the conclusion.
The author conflates 'total time spent in the checkout area' with 'time spent processing individual purchases'. Total time also includes time spent waiting in line.
Identifying the gap reveals the assumption the author is making.
4
Apply the Negation Technique to the correct option.
If the increase in time was entirely attributable to waiting in line, then the transaction processing time did not increase, directly destroying the conclusion.
The Negation Technique definitively proves whether an assumption is logically necessary.

Key Concept

Identifying Necessary Assumptions using the Negation Technique and distinguishing between parts and wholes (total time vs. transaction time).
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

Identifying Necessary Assumptions

More questions from this topic