StrengthenDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Researchers looked at a group of people and found that the ones who worked out were less likely to die during the study, leading them to conclude that exercise makes you live longer.
Conclusion: Engaging in regular exercise has the potential to lengthen a person's life.
Reasoning: A study of same-aged individuals found that those who exercised regularly were significantly less likely to die during the observation period.
Analysis: This argument jumps from a correlation (exercise and survival) to a causal conclusion (exercise causes survival). To strengthen this, we need to address potential 'lurking variables' or the possibility of reverse causation. For instance, if the people who didn't exercise were already sick, that would explain their higher death rate better than a lack of exercise would. Look for an answer that rules out these alternative explanations or provides more evidence that the exercise itself was the active ingredient in their longevity.
Conclusion: Engaging in regular exercise has the potential to lengthen a person's life.
Reasoning: A study of same-aged individuals found that those who exercised regularly were significantly less likely to die during the observation period.
Analysis: This argument jumps from a correlation (exercise and survival) to a causal conclusion (exercise causes survival). To strengthen this, we need to address potential 'lurking variables' or the possibility of reverse causation. For instance, if the people who didn't exercise were already sick, that would explain their higher death rate better than a lack of exercise would. Look for an answer that rules out these alternative explanations or provides more evidence that the exercise itself was the active ingredient in their longevity.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage11.Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
Correct Answer
D
Randomly determining who exercises equalizes, on average, other factors (diet, health consciousness, preexisting conditions). That makes it much more likely the lower mortality was due to exercise itself, strengthening the causal inference.
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