PrepTest 145

Incorrect. There's no indication that those recommending folk remedies believe they cause harm—in fact, the stimulus states that some people "see no harm" in promoting these remedies.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen (Principle)

Stimulus Summary:
People convinced to take folk remedies skip helpful conventional treatment, so recommending them is harmful.

Answer Anticipation:
Strengthen (Principle) questions task us with justifying a judgment in the conclusion based on the details in the premise. Here, the conclusion is that something is harmful—promoting folk remedies that have no effect. The argument bases this judgment on the fact that some people taking these remedies might otherwise have sought traditional treatment that would "almost certainly" help them. So the principle will be something similar to:

If you do something that prevents someone from doing something that will benefit them, then you have done something harmful.

Answer Explanation:
This is a very broad answer, but it applies in this case. Convincing someone to take a folk remedy can stop them from taking a conventional treatment that would "almost certainly" help them. This answer justifies, then, that doing so is harmful, as the conclusion in the stimulus states.

Key Takeaway:
A way to make some quick eliminations in Strengthen (Principle) questions is to focus on the judgment in the conclusion. The correct answer has to justify it, so if it doesn't include that term or includes it as a sufficient condition, you can make a quick elimination.

Incorrect. The argument's conclusion is that something is harmful, not that it's dishonest.

Incorrect. The argument and its conclusion are about whether something is harmful, not whether someone is responsible for that harm, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. This answer might suggest that someone is responsible for the consequences of convincing someone to take an ineffective folk remedy, but it doesn't establish that that consequence is harmful.