PrepTest 122

Incorrect. Accepting or rejecting medical procedures is out of scope of the argument about a duty to treat a patient properly and a right to know negative health news.

Incorrect. The argument is about a right, not whether an action is right.

Incorrect. This answer is bringing in that final statement which was extraneous to the conclusion. Even if we didn't ignore that portion of the argument, this answer doesn't tie into the balancing of a duty and a right and the determination that the latter holds more sway.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen with Sufficient Premise

Stimulus Summary:
Since the patient's right is a basic right, when it conflicts with a physician's duty, the right should prevail.

Answer Anticipation:
If you strip away all of the extraneous detail in this argument and focus just on the portions of the logic directly related to the conclusion, this question becomes a lot easier.

The conclusion here is that when there's a conflict between a certain duty of a physician and a certain right of a patient, the right should prevail ("should" being a key indicator of a conclusion). Why? Because the right is a basic right.

Whenever an argument reaches a conclusion about what "should" happen, it's relying on a principle that establishes the criteria by which that recommendation can be reached. Here, the argument is relying on basic rights trumping duties, but it never establishes that principle. As such, we should look for an answer that establishes it as true:
A basic right trumps a duty when the two are in conflict.

Answer Explanation:
This answer creates an extreme rule ("never") that guarantees a basic right will always trump anything that it's up against. Since in this case it's up against a duty, the basic right wins, thus justifying the conclusion.

Key Takeaway:
Starting with the conclusion of an argument can make it a lot easier to see which pieces are relevant and which aren't. If you can narrow down the stimulus to just the key pieces, it's a lot easier to avoid trap answers and anticipate the correct one.

Incorrect. This answer compares one right to "most" other rights. However, the argument balances it against a duty.