PrepTest 73, Logical Reasoning 1, Question 2
Transcript
Question two. When a question asks to explain the discrepancy, we call that a paradox question. And in a paradox question you gonna be give a weird situation and asked to find an answer choice that explains a way the weirdness. A paradox is a case where two things are said to be true, but they don't seem like they could be true at the same time.
Why does it work one way one time and a different way a different time? It seems like a contradiction, but then the correct answer will explain why it's not a contradiction. So of course, your first step on these questions is going to be to figure out what the discrepancy is. And here, it's a discrepancy in behavior.
When a salesperson says thank you to a customer, the customer says thank you back. But when a friend thanks a friend, the response isn't thank you, it's always, you're welcome. So why would people act differently in those two scenarios? That's our paradox.
So our correct answer will be a new fact that makes that difference make sense. So let's look at the answers. Answer choice A, says customers regard themselves as doing salespeople a favor. This might explain why it is that they think the salespeople should say thank you to them, but it doesn't explain why they say thank you back. If they think they're the ones doing the favor, why are they thanking?
So A doesn't explain it. Answer choice B, well answer is B is about salespeople. It explains why salespeople say thank you. We're not trying to explain what the sales people do, we're trying to explain why is it different when you interact with your friends, versus when you interact with salespeople, it's the customers that matter.
So B can't help and neither can C, because C is also about salespeople, what do they think about their customers. What the salespeople think won't be able to explain why the customers are doing what they do. So answer choice D, the way people respond to being thanked is generally determined by habit rather than by conscious decision.
Now, this answer does provide an explanation, but not the explanation we want. This explains why people do anything they do, so they do it by habit. But it leaves open the same question, why are our habits different in the different scenarios? Why do we do one thing habitually with sales people and another thing habitually with our friends?
So, that means that the answer must be answered choice E. And E says in a commercial transaction as opposed to a favour, the customer feels the benefits are mutual. And that would explain it. So, the customer thinks that benefits are mutual, then they're gonna say the same thing back, thank you and thank you.
Answer choice E explains the difference in behavior and so it is our answer.
Read full transcriptWhy does it work one way one time and a different way a different time? It seems like a contradiction, but then the correct answer will explain why it's not a contradiction. So of course, your first step on these questions is going to be to figure out what the discrepancy is. And here, it's a discrepancy in behavior.
When a salesperson says thank you to a customer, the customer says thank you back. But when a friend thanks a friend, the response isn't thank you, it's always, you're welcome. So why would people act differently in those two scenarios? That's our paradox.
So our correct answer will be a new fact that makes that difference make sense. So let's look at the answers. Answer choice A, says customers regard themselves as doing salespeople a favor. This might explain why it is that they think the salespeople should say thank you to them, but it doesn't explain why they say thank you back. If they think they're the ones doing the favor, why are they thanking?
So A doesn't explain it. Answer choice B, well answer is B is about salespeople. It explains why salespeople say thank you. We're not trying to explain what the sales people do, we're trying to explain why is it different when you interact with your friends, versus when you interact with salespeople, it's the customers that matter.
So B can't help and neither can C, because C is also about salespeople, what do they think about their customers. What the salespeople think won't be able to explain why the customers are doing what they do. So answer choice D, the way people respond to being thanked is generally determined by habit rather than by conscious decision.
Now, this answer does provide an explanation, but not the explanation we want. This explains why people do anything they do, so they do it by habit. But it leaves open the same question, why are our habits different in the different scenarios? Why do we do one thing habitually with sales people and another thing habitually with our friends?
So, that means that the answer must be answered choice E. And E says in a commercial transaction as opposed to a favour, the customer feels the benefits are mutual. And that would explain it. So, the customer thinks that benefits are mutual, then they're gonna say the same thing back, thank you and thank you.
Answer choice E explains the difference in behavior and so it is our answer.
