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- Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:49 pm
#33122
Complete Question Explanation
Method of Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (E)
Mark draws an analogy between the decongestant drugs Zokaz and Qualzan, and concludes that Qualzan probably increases the risk of heart attack. He states that Zokaz was discontinued by its manufacturer because long-term studies revealed that it increased the risk of heart attack. Apparently, Zokaz and Qualzan work by essentially the same physiological mechanism. Based on this similarity in physiological mechanism, Mark concludes that Qualzan probably increases the risk of heart attack as well.
Kathy disagrees. Although she concedes that the decongestive effects of Zokaz and Qualzan stem from the same physiological mechanism, Kathy points out that the two drugs are different chemically. Because of this chemical difference, Kathy concludes that the two drugs probably have different side effects.
In this Method of Reasoning question, your task is to describe how Kathy responded to Mark.
Answer choice (A): Kathy did not cite Qualzan’s safety record as evidence that it is not linked to an increased risk of heart attack.
Answer choice (B): Kathy did not compare Mark’s argument by analogy to some other argument by analogy. Rather, she stated that the chemical differences between the two drugs would result in the drugs having different side effects.
Answer choice (C): Kathy did not reference underlying scientific studies to support her conclusion.
Answer choice (D): While incorrect, this answer choice is more attractive than the other incorrect answer choices, because Kathy did implicitly apply a principle in reaching her conclusion. The rule applied by Kathy was that if two drugs are different chemically, then they probably have different side effects. However, she did not identify this rule as a “fundamental principle” of medicine.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Kathy challenged Mark’s argument, which he made by analogy, when she stated a conclusion that conflicted with Mark’s conclusion. Further, Kathy based her challenge on a dissimilarity, i.e., chemical differences, between the things being compared, the drugs Zokaz and Qualzan.
Method of Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (E)
Mark draws an analogy between the decongestant drugs Zokaz and Qualzan, and concludes that Qualzan probably increases the risk of heart attack. He states that Zokaz was discontinued by its manufacturer because long-term studies revealed that it increased the risk of heart attack. Apparently, Zokaz and Qualzan work by essentially the same physiological mechanism. Based on this similarity in physiological mechanism, Mark concludes that Qualzan probably increases the risk of heart attack as well.
Kathy disagrees. Although she concedes that the decongestive effects of Zokaz and Qualzan stem from the same physiological mechanism, Kathy points out that the two drugs are different chemically. Because of this chemical difference, Kathy concludes that the two drugs probably have different side effects.
In this Method of Reasoning question, your task is to describe how Kathy responded to Mark.
Answer choice (A): Kathy did not cite Qualzan’s safety record as evidence that it is not linked to an increased risk of heart attack.
Answer choice (B): Kathy did not compare Mark’s argument by analogy to some other argument by analogy. Rather, she stated that the chemical differences between the two drugs would result in the drugs having different side effects.
Answer choice (C): Kathy did not reference underlying scientific studies to support her conclusion.
Answer choice (D): While incorrect, this answer choice is more attractive than the other incorrect answer choices, because Kathy did implicitly apply a principle in reaching her conclusion. The rule applied by Kathy was that if two drugs are different chemically, then they probably have different side effects. However, she did not identify this rule as a “fundamental principle” of medicine.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Kathy challenged Mark’s argument, which he made by analogy, when she stated a conclusion that conflicted with Mark’s conclusion. Further, Kathy based her challenge on a dissimilarity, i.e., chemical differences, between the things being compared, the drugs Zokaz and Qualzan.
