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QuestionsSpotting a False Analogy

Multiple choice (all correct options required) · #565

At a procurement review meeting, the supervisor proposed signing the contract for a certain system directly, citing that "all leading enterprises are using it." A member suggested conducting a compatibility assessment first, but the supervisor retorted, "Leading enterprises have already validated it — why doubt it?" Which of the following evaluations are most accurate?

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Answer: AB

  • A"Leading enterprises use it" is only reference information; we still need to check whether the workflow, scale, costs, and staff capability match.✓ Correct. Others' usage is only a reference; the real question is whether it suits our company's workflow, scale, costs, and staff capability, which corresponds to examining whether the similarities are truly relevant to the conclusion.
  • B"They all use this system" is a superficial similarity; "similar usage conditions" is what truly matters for the purchasing conclusion.✓ Correct. "They all use the same system" is only a superficial similarity; whether the conditions such as scale, workflow, and staff capability are similar determines whether the conclusion can be transferred to our company, a typical application of distinguishing superficial similarity from relevant similarity.
  • CLeading enterprises have more rigorous selection and complex management, so a system validated by them must also work for our company.✗ Incorrect. The underlying misconception is "the other party has stricter conditions, so the conclusion must apply": large enterprises often have dedicated operations and customization capabilities, which may be key differences. The correct approach is to verify the transferable conditions item by item, not to skip checks based on the other party's rigor.
  • DAs long as it is proven that this system has never failed in leading enterprises, it is sufficient to prove it suits our company.✗ Incorrect. The misconception is treating "others have no problems with it" as a sufficient condition for "it will work for us." Others' success history cannot rule out key differences; the analogy only suggests where to start thinking, and a small-scale pilot in our company environment is still needed.
Explanation:The key in such "everyone else does it" analogies is to examine whether the similarities are truly relevant to the conclusion. Leading enterprises adopting the same system is only a surface similarity; whether it can be concluded as "suitable for our company" depends on whether conditions like workflow, scale, costs, and staff capability are similar. The two incorrect options, in different ways, treat "others have validated it" as "necessarily valid for us": one says the other party's stricter conditions guarantee applicability, the other says never failing suffices, both skipping item-by-item checks for our company.
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