Logical Reasoning

PT132 · S2 · Q9 A retrospective study

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A retrospective study is a scientific study that tries to determine the causes of subjects' present characteristics by looking for significant connections between the present characteristics of subjects and what happened to those subjects in the past, before the study began.

Evidence

Retrospective studies of human RS → SR subjects must use the subjects’ reports about their own pasts.

Conclusion

Retrospective studies cannot RS → ~R reliably determine the causes of human subjects’ present characteristics.

Evaluate

The argument assumes that SR → ~R studies that rely on the subjects’ reports are not reliable.

9.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument's conclusion to be properly drawn?

  1. Whether or not a study

    Too Weak

    This builds a bridge between the right terms, but is too weak to ensure the conclusion is properly drawn.

    8% picked this

  2. A retrospective study cannot reliably

    Wrong Trigger

    This can be rewritten as a R ? C retrospective study can reliably determine the causes of human subjects’ present characteristics only if there exist correlations between the present characteristics of the subjects and what happened to those subjects in the past. This assumes that there ~C are no correlations between the present characteristics of the subjects and what happened in the past.

    8% picked this

  3. Correct

    In studies of human subjects

    Why this is right

    This bridges the gap between SR ? ~R relying the subjects’ reports and reports which are not reliable.

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

    75% picked this

  4. If a study of human

    Weaken

    This makes it more likely that retrospective studies can reliably determine the causes of those subjects’ present characteristics.

    5% picked this

  5. Every scientific study in which

    Supports a Premise / Out of Scope

    This statement supports the argument’s premise. It also contains information about other types of study that is not relevant to the argument.

    4% picked this

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