People sometimes dismiss a claim if it comes from a source they regard as self-interested, but from a strictly logical...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
People sometimes dismiss a claim if it comes from a source they regard as self-interested, but from a strictly logical perspective, the source of a claim is ______: it has no direct bearing on whether the claim is true.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'People sometimes dismiss a claim if it comes from a source they regard as self-interested,' |
|
| 'but from a strictly logical perspective,' |
|
| '[MISSING WORD/PHRASE]' |
|
| 'it has no direct bearing on whether the claim is true.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: From a logical standpoint, the source of a claim doesn't affect whether the claim is actually true, even though people often dismiss claims based on who makes them.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a contrast between human psychology (we dismiss claims from biased sources) and logical reasoning (the source shouldn't matter for determining truth). The blank needs to describe how logic views the source of claims.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The word we need should describe how logic views the source of a claim
- We know that people dismiss claims from self-interested sources
- But logic takes a different view
- The explanation says the source 'has no direct bearing on whether the claim is true'
- So logically, if the source doesn't affect truth, then the source itself must be something that doesn't matter for determining truth
- The right answer should indicate that from a logical perspective, the source doesn't matter for evaluating the claim's truth
✗ Incorrect
- 'Indistinct' means unclear or hard to make out
- The passage isn't saying sources are unclear - it's saying they don't matter for truth
- Doesn't connect to the explanation about bearing on truth
✓ Correct
- 'Irrelevant' means not important or not connected to the matter at hand
- Perfectly matches our prethinking - if the source has 'no direct bearing' on truth, then it's irrelevant
- Creates the logical contrast: people care about sources, but logically sources are irrelevant to truth
✗ Incorrect
- 'Indisputable' means cannot be argued against or challenged
- This doesn't make sense - the passage isn't saying sources are beyond question
- Doesn't connect to the idea that sources don't affect truth
✗ Incorrect
- 'Implicit' means suggested or implied rather than directly stated
- The passage isn't about whether sources are stated or unstated
- Doesn't relate to the explanation about bearing on truth