Why is the answer not A??

@Kyra, Great question. You're asking why the answer isn't A and are thinking the author provided an example. Ian Raghnall's article takes the result of a survey and concludes that financial problems are the major problems in marriages and an important factor contributing to the high divorce rate. The author then counters this by saying that couples often express other types of martial frustrations in financial terms and concludes from this that the survey data do not establish that financial problems are the major problem in contemporary marriages. We're tasked with identifying what the author does in the passage. We know that the author discredits Raghnall's conclusion by providing another reason (couples expressing other types of marital frustrations in financial terms) for the fact that the survey showed that over half of couples applying for divorce listed money as a major problem in their marriage. Answer choice A is incorrect because there is no counterexample offered by the author. If the author did provide a counterexample, it would be something like a couple with financial problems who decided to remain together and not get divorced. The author's premise (that couples often express other types of martial frustrations in financial terms ) is not a counterexample; it's an alternative explanation of the data found in the survey. This is an important distinction. Answer B is correct; it accurately states that the author undermines a conclusion drawn from statistical data by offering an alternative explanation for some of the data. This is exactly what the author is doing when she brings in the premise that couples often express other types of marital frustrations in financial terms. This isn't a counterexample; it's an alternative explanation of facts that seriously weakens Raghnall's conclusion. This is our correct answer. Answer C is incorrect because the author makes no mention of not being able to prove emotion. This answer is out. Answer D is incorrect because the author is not criticizing the actual survey; she's criticizing the conclusion that Raghnall has made from the survey's data. Answer E is incorrect because the author never says that couples cannot accurately describe their own problems. Sure, maybe couples do not express their problems accurately (since couples often express other types of marital problems in financial terms), but even if we take this leap, NOT DOING something does not mean that they CANNOT DO IT. Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any more questions!