WeakenDiff: Hardest

Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: We know anger spikes blood pressure, and people who get angry a lot tend to have high blood pressure all the time. Since high blood pressure causes heart disease, the psychologist concludes that being an angry person can actually lead to heart problems.

Conclusion: Psychological factors, such as being easily angered, can be a direct cause of heart disease.

Reasoning: Anger is correlated with permanent high blood pressure, and permanent high blood pressure is a known cause of heart disease.

Analysis: The argument assumes a specific causal direction: Anger leads to High Blood Pressure, which then leads to Heart Disease. To weaken this, we need to find an alternative explanation for the correlation. Perhaps heart disease or high blood pressure makes people more irritable and prone to anger, or maybe a third factor like genetics causes both the personality trait and the physical condition. Look for an answer that suggests the psychological state is a result, rather than a cause, of the physical issues.

Passage Stimulus

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22.

Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the psychologist's argument?

Correct Answer
E
E offers a classic confound: physiological factors that cause permanent high blood pressure also make people quick to anger. This explains the correlation without supporting the claim that psychological traits themselves cause heart disease.
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