Q6 - Principle: If someone makes and error

[Laura Damone]

Question Type:
Strengthen (Principle)

Stimulus Breakdown:
Principle: If someone makes an error, it's unethical for a coworker to use that error to their advantage.
Application: Mark used his coworker Rashmi's clients' email addresses to advance his own career, and therefore his actions were unethical.

Answer Anticipation:
These questions have been cropping up a lot on recent tests. You're given a principle and a situation in which the principle supposedly applies. To answer the question, you need to add a piece of information to justify the application of the principle. Well, principles are conditional statements, and you can only apply them to situations that fulfill their sufficient conditions. These questions are all about demonstrating that the situation to which the principle is applied actually fulfills that condition. In this case, we need to show that it was an error that led to Mark using those emails.

Correct answer:
D

Answer choice analysis:
(A) Does this show an error? Nope. It shows Mark is a scoundrel, and we might be tempted to say this proves that his actions are unethical, but remember, we're not just trying to prove the conclusion; we're trying to justify the application of the principle.

(B) Again, no error. A sneaky co-worker sharing the emails may be egregious, but it's not erroneous.

(C) Hmm, this sounds like Rashmi is doing Mark an intentional favor, not making an unintentional error.

(D) Unintentionally leaving something visible? Now that sounds like an error. And since it was Rashmi who made it and Mark who took advantage, the application of the principle is justified. We have a winner!

(E) No way: Mark conducting market research doesn't represent an error on a coworker's part.

Takeaway/Pattern:
When asked to justify, or help justify, the application of a principle, the correct answer will show that the situation fulfills the principle's sufficient condition!

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