Logical Reasoning

PT135 · S2 · Q9 Reducing stress lessens a person's

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Reducing stress lessens a person's sensitivity to pain.

Evidence

Researchers played extended audiotapes to patients before they underwent surgery and afterward while they were recovering.

One tape consisted of conversation; the other consisted of music.

Those who listened only to the latter tape required less anesthesia during surgery and fewer painkillers afterward than those who listened only to the former tape.

Conclusion

Reducing stress lessens a person's sensitivity to pain.

Evaluate

There are a couple issues we could look at. There's a study with a difference between two groups, i.e. a Curious Fact

CURIOUS FACT: why did the ppl who listened to music need less anesthesia / painkillers than the ppl who listened to conversation?

AUTHOR'S EXPLANATION: the music lessened their sensitivity to pain, so they didn't need as much pain relief.

The argument is assuming that there are NOT alternate ways to explain why the music group needed less pain relief.

Additionally, there's a New Concept in the Conclusion: reducing stress?

What did any of the rest of this conversation have to do with "stress"? It was never mentioned in the evidence, so the author must be assuming something about it.

Given that she thinks that listening to music lessened sensitivity to pain, if she's concluding from that that reducing stress lessens sensitivity to pain, she must be thinking that listening to music reduces your stress.

9.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the researchers' reasoning depends?

  1. All of the patients in

    Too Strong

    The study might have included some patients that listened to a mix of tapes, even though the patients compared in the argument listened to the same tape before surgery and after surgery.

    5% picked this

  2. Anticipating surgery is no less

    Out of Scope

    The stress of anticipating surgery is not relevant to the argument.

    3% picked this

  3. Correct

    Listening to music reduces stress.

    Why this is right

    This bridges the gap between listening to music and reducing stress.

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

    84% picked this

  4. The psychological effects of music

    Out of Scope - Term Shift

    Psychological effects are not the same as physiological effects, such as one’s sensitivity to pain.

    6% picked this

  5. Both anesthesia and painkillers tend

    Weakens

    While the argument assumes that listening to music reduces stress, this answer provides a possible alternative cause of reduced stress.

    2% picked this

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