Q26 - The obesity invariably associated with

[jamiejames]

Can someone explain the correct and incorrect answer choices, thank you!

[timmydoeslsat]

The stimulus can be seen as this:

X is caused by Z, not by Y.

Therefore, people with X do not have Y.

This argument is not considering the possibility that one thing may be causing an effect, but that other things can be present without making the cause.

For instance: Jeastman's computer virus is caused by a hacker, not his webmail.

Therefore, Jeastman does not have webmail.

Simply because an item was not responsible for a certain effect does not mean it is absent.

Answer choice C gives us this flawed reasoning as well.

The disorientation of pilots is caused by the disruption in their exposure to daylight, not sleep deprivation.

Therefore, the pilots are not sleep deprived.

We cannot say a factor is absent simply because it is not responsible for a certain effect.

Answer choices:

A) Does not give us the information of X causes Y, Z does not cause Y.

Instead, this is a classic correlaton-causation flaw. Although there is a strong correlation, we cannot conclude cause.

This also does not give us that conclusion of something not being present, rather this simply says that air turbulence is not a cause due to the author attributing cause to another variable since it was strongly correlated to the event.

B) This answer choice would have been our answer had it concluded that stereotyping of most sports fans being beer drinkers does not take place. This answer choice says that one thing caused another, while something else was not the cause. We would want this answer choice to say that "something else" does not exist, but we are not given this.

D) Same issue as B. We would want this conclusion to give us that panic in the face of predicted economic downturns does not exist. It simply concludes with the idea that economic downturns cannot be predicted accurately. Nothing about panic.

E) Same issue as B and D. We would want this answer choice to conclude with the idea that there is not mathematical intelligence with computer programmers.

[uhdang]

I tend to approach this a bit mechanically and use abstract structure a lot, and I tend to find flaws while doing so. Here is the abstract structure of the stimulus.

P: A (obesity) associated with B (high-fat diets) is caused by X (an absence in these diets of certain nutrients that are necessary for an active metabolism), not by Y (excessive calorie intake)
C: people on B do not Y
>> Just because symptom caused by B is not from Y, that doesn’t mean B doesn’t do Y. False Analogy.

Let's go to the answer choices.

A)
P: Electrical Storm (correlated) precipitous drop in pressure
C: Electrical storms are caused by drop in pressure, not air turbulence
>> Correlation is not present in the stimulus and “air turbulence” element comes out of nowhere.

B)
P: The impression related to beer drinkers is NOT due to Y (stereotyping) BUT due to X (beer commercials)
C: Most beer drinkers are avid fans of sports programs
>> Similar to the stimulus, but the correct way would be instead of avid fans of sports program, it should be something close to the negation of “stereotyping” just as the conclusion of the stimulus has done. Just because it’s not stereotyping that doesn’t directly indicate “avid fans of sports program.

C)
A (Disorientation) after B (Transoceanic flights) is caused NOT by Y (sleep deprivation) but X (disruption in their exposure to daylight).
C: B do NOT suffer Y.
>> Same flaw. Just because subset of Transoceanic flights (A or Disorientation) is not caused by Sleep Deprivation, that doesn’t mean B (Transoceanic pilots) doesn’t have sleep deprivation.

D)
Stock Market Crash is not due to panic but rumormongering
Economic downturns cannot be accurately predicted.
>> Conclusion is completely not related to the premise. Economic downturns are vastly exaggerated and generalized. And instead of “cannot be accurately predicted”, it should have been NOT due to panic.

E)
P among PCP is not due to A(Intelligence ofMathematicians) but B (Appropriateness of Mathematical Training).
C: Most CP have mathematical training
>> Conclusion should tell that Computer programmers are NOT from B.

The right answer is C).