Test 56 Section 4 Q20
20) Newspaper Article: People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be healthier than average. This was shown by a study investigation the relationship between high doses of vitamin C and heart disease, which show that people who regularly consumed high does of vitamin C supplement have a significantly lower than average risk of heart disease.
My answer choice was B: The reduction in risk of heart disease due to the consumption of vitamin C is no greater than the reduction due to certain other dietary changes.
The correct answer was D: High doses of vitamin C supplements tend to reduce slightly one's resistance to certain common infectious diseases.
Though D was a contender for me I went with B because of the reasoning behind causality (LRB: If a stated cause is said to lead to an effect the author believes that is the only cause that could lead to that effect).
Answer choice B provided another cause that led to the same effect which to me seemed like an effective way to weaken it.
Any help on clarifying why my reasoning was incorrect?
Causal Weaken Question Forum
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TrojanHopeful
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- Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:37 am
Re: Causal Weaken Question
What if other "certain" dietary changes are excellent in lowering the risk of heart disease. If that is the case, and the consumption of Vitamin C is no greater than these dietary changes, then there is still the chance that Vitamin C is still really good at lowering the risk of heart disease. Therefore, there's still a chance that Vitamin C makes the person healthier than average (than not taking Vitamin C). This does not weaken the argument.
Answer choice D: it high doses of Vitamin C supplements tend to reduce one's resistance to certain common infectious diseases, then I wouldn't say that it makes the person healthier than average (maybe it is worse to lower one's resistance to common infectious diseases than to not lower one's risk of heart disease). This weakens the argument that Vitamin C supplements make someone healthier than average.
Answer choice D: it high doses of Vitamin C supplements tend to reduce one's resistance to certain common infectious diseases, then I wouldn't say that it makes the person healthier than average (maybe it is worse to lower one's resistance to common infectious diseases than to not lower one's risk of heart disease). This weakens the argument that Vitamin C supplements make someone healthier than average.
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6lehderjets
- Posts: 218
- Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:01 pm
Re: Causal Weaken Question
TrojanHopeful wrote:What if other "certain" dietary changes are excellent in lowering the risk of heart disease. If that is the case, and the consumption of Vitamin C is no greater than these dietary changes, then there is still the chance that Vitamin C is still really good at lowering the risk of heart disease. Therefore, there's still a chance that Vitamin C makes the person healthier than average (than not taking Vitamin C). This does not weaken the argument.
Answer choice D: it high doses of Vitamin C supplements tend to reduce one's resistance to certain common infectious diseases, then I wouldn't say that it makes the person healthier than average (maybe it is worse to lower one's resistance to common infectious diseases than to not lower one's risk of heart disease). This weakens the argument that Vitamin C supplements make someone healthier than average.
After I posted this I realized the part I needed to focus on weakening was the "People who take vitamin C supplements tend to be healthier than average" I got to hung up on the causality between vitamin C and heart disease.
Thanks for helping out. Good Luck on USC.
