A study found that patients

Answer choices

1. A

   Opposite Impact3% picked this

   It ignores the possibility that therapists trained in traditional forms of therapy use the same techniques in treating their patients as therapists trained in

   This strengthens the argument by ruling out something that could possibly explain the difference other than the therapists themselves.

   3%
2. B

   Correct89% picked this

   It ignores the possibility that the patients referred to therapists practicing the new form of therapy had problems more amenable to treatment than did

   Why this is right

   This points to an alternative explanation for why the patients referred by their doctors to a new experimental form of therapy made more progress than those referred to more traditional psychotherapy.

   Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   89%
3. C

   Too Strong2% picked this

   It presumes, without providing justification, that any psychotherapist trained in traditional forms of therapy is untrained in the

   The argument does not assume that there is no overlap between the two sets of psychotherapists.

   2%
4. D

   Contradiction4% picked this

   It ignores the possibility that therapists practicing the new form of therapy systematically differ from therapists practicing traditional forms of therapy with regard to

   The argument does not overlook this possibility, but rather asserts it in the conclusion.

   4%
5. E

   Opposite Impact2% picked this

   It presumes, without providing justification, that the personal rapport between therapist and patient has no influence on the effectiveness of

   The argument does not assume that personal rapport has no influence on the effectiveness of the treatment, since the argument concludes that it is something about the therapists that is responsible for the different outcomes. This assumption weakens the argument.

   2%