StrengthenDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A therapist claims that fixing thoughts you are aware of works better than digging into the unconscious because you actually have control over your conscious mind.
Conclusion: Cognitive psychotherapy is probably more effective at solving psychological problems than therapies focusing on the unconscious.
Reasoning: Cognitive therapy targets conscious beliefs, which are the only things a patient can directly control.
Analysis: The therapist's logic has a gap: it assumes that 'direct conscious control' is a key factor in how effective a therapy is. To strengthen this, we need a premise that explicitly links patient control to better clinical outcomes. If it turns out that being able to consciously change a belief makes it easier to overcome a problem, the argument becomes much stronger. Look for an answer that validates the importance of the patient's active control in the healing process.
Conclusion: Cognitive psychotherapy is probably more effective at solving psychological problems than therapies focusing on the unconscious.
Reasoning: Cognitive therapy targets conscious beliefs, which are the only things a patient can directly control.
Analysis: The therapist's logic has a gap: it assumes that 'direct conscious control' is a key factor in how effective a therapy is. To strengthen this, we need a premise that explicitly links patient control to better clinical outcomes. If it turns out that being able to consciously change a belief makes it easier to overcome a problem, the argument becomes much stronger. Look for an answer that validates the importance of the patient's active control in the healing process.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage13.Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the therapist's argument?
Correct Answer
B
It directly links therapy effectiveness to focusing on mental states under the patient’s direct conscious control. If effective therapy requires that focus, therapies targeting unconscious states (not under direct control) will generally be less effective than cognitive therapy, which targets controllable states.
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