Logical Reasoning

PT155 · S2 · Q10 Toning shoes—walking shoes

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Toning shoes—walking shoes with a specially rounded sole—are popular with fitness enthusiasts.

Background

Research shows that the major leg muscles of people walking in toning shoes receive no more exercise than those of people walking in normal walking shoes.

Surprising Claim

Many people experience a strengthening of their major leg muscles after switching to toning shoes.

Evaluate

Given that studies show the shoes themselves don't actually exercise the major leg muscles more, what else could be different about people who switched to toning shoes? Maybe they get more excited to exercise or motivated, since they see themselves wearing athletic gear?

Goal

Find something else that's happening with the people who switched that would explain why they experience a strengthening of major leg muscles.

10.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy in the information above?

  1. Toning shoes strengthen small underused

    Out of Scope: small muscles

    We're looking for a way to explain why major muscles are strengthening.

    16% picked this

  2. Muscles in the leg adapt

    No Impact

    Adapting immediately sounds more like the research's takeaway — these end up being the same as regular shoes. Nothing in this answer gives us a way to explain why the major leg muscles are getting strengthened.

    5% picked this

  3. Correct

    Many people find toning shoes

    Why this is right

    If they walk more as a result, that could explain why they experience a strengthening of their major leg muscles. It would be like if you got new headphones, and listening to music was so enjoyable that you walked more, and so we said that "the new headphones helped you to strengthen your major leg muscles". The headphones don't directly exercise your major leg muscles more, but they lead you to exercise your major leg muscles more.

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

    77% picked this

  4. There is little evidence that

    No Impact

    The fact that these shoes don't cause injuries doesn't give us a good way to explain why there is more major leg muscle strengthening being experienced by those who switch to toning shoes.

    0% picked this

  5. Shoes that strengthen the major

    Out of Scope: marketable

    We don't care about how well these shoes do / don't sell. We're just wondering why those who wear them, however big or small that number is, are experiencing a strengthening of major leg muscles.

    1% picked this

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