Question Type: Principle
These questions ask you to identify a rule, or principle, that supports the stimulus argument
presented. In some cases, you are required to choose an argument that conforms
to the stimulus principle.
Some example question stems are
1. The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following
principles?
2. Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated
above?
3. Which one of the following employee behaviors most clearly violates the company
policy outlined above?
4. Which one of the following illustrates a principle most similar to that illustrated
by the passage?
Strategies
The first step in answering these questions is to identify the rule or principle in the
stimulus argument. Then, select the answer choice that relies on the same rule or principle.
You should generally avoid any answer choices that include the same subject
matter as that of the stimulus argument; focus on the rule or principle, not on the
content.
Sample Principle Question
Consider the following example:
1. The best way to create a successful party is to visualize the guests discussing it with
friends the next day. The hostess should first decide what aspects of the party will
lead to favorable comments from guests during those conversations and then come
up with refreshments and activities that will actually cause such post-party talk to
occur.
Which one of the following illustrates a principle most similar to that illustrated by
the passage?
(A) When planning a vacation, some travelers decide first where they want to
go, and then plan their route. But, for most people, financial issues must
also be taken into account.
(B) When landscaping the grounds of a new home, you should start with the
topsoil and then choose your shrubbery and other foliage.
(C) Good moviemakers do not extemporaneously film their movies in one or
two days with no script; a movie cannot be separated from the story upon
which it is based.
(D) In negotiating an employment contract, the best method is to make as many
outlandish demands as possible and then agree to forgo the most outrageous
of them.
(E) To make a great golf shot, you should picture the ball landing where you
want it to land, and then you will be able to line up your body and your club
accordingly.
The best answer is E. The underlying principle in the stimulus argument is that it is
best to work backward from a desired result in order to achieve that result. In the stimulus,
the desired result is a successful party. In the correct answer, the desired result is a
great golf shot. Answer choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they work forward
rather than backward.
NOTE
This particular format, choosing an argument that illustrates the same principle as the stimulus argument,
is similar to parallel reasoning questions.
These questions ask you to identify a rule, or principle, that supports the stimulus argument
presented. In some cases, you are required to choose an argument that conforms
to the stimulus principle.
Some example question stems are
1. The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following
principles?
2. Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated
above?
3. Which one of the following employee behaviors most clearly violates the company
policy outlined above?
4. Which one of the following illustrates a principle most similar to that illustrated
by the passage?
Strategies
The first step in answering these questions is to identify the rule or principle in the
stimulus argument. Then, select the answer choice that relies on the same rule or principle.
You should generally avoid any answer choices that include the same subject
matter as that of the stimulus argument; focus on the rule or principle, not on the
content.
Sample Principle Question
Consider the following example:
1. The best way to create a successful party is to visualize the guests discussing it with
friends the next day. The hostess should first decide what aspects of the party will
lead to favorable comments from guests during those conversations and then come
up with refreshments and activities that will actually cause such post-party talk to
occur.
Which one of the following illustrates a principle most similar to that illustrated by
the passage?
(A) When planning a vacation, some travelers decide first where they want to
go, and then plan their route. But, for most people, financial issues must
also be taken into account.
(B) When landscaping the grounds of a new home, you should start with the
topsoil and then choose your shrubbery and other foliage.
(C) Good moviemakers do not extemporaneously film their movies in one or
two days with no script; a movie cannot be separated from the story upon
which it is based.
(D) In negotiating an employment contract, the best method is to make as many
outlandish demands as possible and then agree to forgo the most outrageous
of them.
(E) To make a great golf shot, you should picture the ball landing where you
want it to land, and then you will be able to line up your body and your club
accordingly.
The best answer is E. The underlying principle in the stimulus argument is that it is
best to work backward from a desired result in order to achieve that result. In the stimulus,
the desired result is a successful party. In the correct answer, the desired result is a
great golf shot. Answer choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they work forward
rather than backward.
NOTE
This particular format, choosing an argument that illustrates the same principle as the stimulus argument,
is similar to parallel reasoning questions.
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