Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 1 · Question 20

Question prompt

There is strong evidence Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Facts

Valid or Flawed

NA

Question Type

Paradox Questions

Stimulus Summary

Migraines are caused by physiology, not psychology Migraine sufferers in treatment are more anxious than people not treated for migraines

Answer Anticipation

As with all Paradox questions, we should start by clearly defining the paradox. Here, the stimulus starts by saying that migraines are caused by physiological factors, not psychological ones. From this, you might expect that they wouldn’t have higher levels of psychological symptoms. However, those in treatment for migraines actually do have higher levels of anxiety (a psychological symptom) than those who aren’t in treatment. We need to explain why that’s the case. There are two common elements here that we can look to for an explanation. First, the stimulus is about causality - the cause of migraines is explicitly discussed. If we think about the causality, is there an explanation for the increased levels of anxiety? Sure - maybe migraines make people more anxious. After all, if you’re worried that you’re going to have a severe headache all the time, or you’re currently suffering from one, you’re probably more anxious! Second, the stimulus involves a study that compares two groups. Are these the relevant groups to compare? No - to form a valid study, we need to look at a representative and random sample. This one started with people who were already going in for treatment for migraines, and compared it to people who aren’t being treated for migraines. The latter group includes people who don’t suffer from migraines and those who do but aren’t receiving treatment for it. Maybe the group that has sought treatment is more prone to anxiety, which is what led them to seek treatment in the first place. We have two avenues to resolve this paradox, so let’s head to the answer choices and look for either one.

Answer choices

  1. A
    People who have migraine Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This answer doesn’t connect to treatment or anxiety at all, so it doesn’t resolve the paradox.
  2. B
    People who have migraine Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer suggests that migraines do have a psychological element to them, which undercuts the claim in the stimulus that they’re “purely physiological.” We can’t undercut a part of the paradox in order to resolve it, so this answer is incorrect.
  3. C
    People who rate higher Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    This answer matches up with our second anticipation. If those who are more anxious are more likely to seek treatment, then it makes sense that there’d be a higher proportion of them receiving treatment for migraines than the group that doesn’t seek treatment. This resolves the paradox, so it’s the correct answer.
  4. D
    Of the many studies Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    How widely publicized a study is doesn’t speak to the accuracy of those reports. This answer also seems to be trying to undercut half of the paradox, which doesn’t resolve the paradox.
  5. E
    Most people who have Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer doesn’t address anxiety at all, so it fails to address a key part of the paradox.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 6%
  2. B 11%
  3. C Credited 78%
  4. D 5%
  5. E 1%

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