#11 - A recent epidemiological study found that

[moshei24]

Hi,

I understand why C is the right answer as it eliminates a possible weakness, but why is E wrong? If it's chronic insomnia, then it's going to last for a long time, so wouldn't the fact that they still have it later on strengthen the fact that they got it because they traveled internationally? Does this answer choice strengthen it, but is wrong because C strengthens it better, or does it not strengthen it at all?

Thanks,
Moshe

[Justin Eleff]

In asking the question, you put your finger on the easiest explanation for why (E) is not the credited response. You wrote, "If it's chronic insomnia, then it's going to last for a long time" -- but that's just the point! Reread (E) and you will see that it isn't talking about CHRONIC INSOMNIA, necessarily; it's talking about "various sleep-related ailments," one of which may or may not be chronic insomnia. Because we can't quite bridge the gap between chronic insomnia specifically and sleep-related ailments in general, we can't be sure that the information presented in (E) has any definite bearing on the information in the stimulus. So (E) is out of scope.

[moshei24]

Aha, thanks!

[jlam061695]

While I see what Justin is saying in that "various sleep-related ailments" do not necessarily mean insomnia, these "various sleep-related ailments" CAN include insomnia. Since this is a strengthen and not aa mbt question, doesn't the correct answer merely have to strengthen it? In my view, "sleep-related ailments" can mean a broad range of things, but it doesn't mean that it cannot include insomnia. Also, why is answer choice C a better answer than E? I feel like both of them strengthen the argument.

[David Boyle]

While I see what Justin is saying in that "various sleep-related ailments" do not necessarily mean insomnia, these "various sleep-related ailments" CAN include insomnia. Since this is a strengthen and not aa mbt question, doesn't the correct answer merely have to strengthen it? In my view, "sleep-related ailments" can mean a broad range of things, but it doesn't mean that it cannot include insomnia. Also, why is answer choice C a better answer than E? I feel like both of them strengthen the argument.

Hello jlam061695,

Answer E is very vague: it could mean that two old guys who don't travel any more, find that they lose their hearing if they sleep less than eight hours a night. Not too helpful.
As for '"various sleep-related ailments" CAN include insomnia', yes, possibly. But you're looking for the answer that most strengthens. And a maybe-possible inclusion of insomnia, does not help very much.
Answer C, "Businesspeople who already suffer from chronic insomnia are no more likely than businesspeople who do not to accept assignments from their employers that require international travel", shows that the case of "Well, it's all the insomniacs who are traveling anyway, so it's their own insomnia, not other factors like jet lag" is not happening; thus, the case in the stimulus is strengthened.

Hope this helps,
David

[lathlee]

Hi. Actually, I don't get why C is the correct answer as well.

answer choice of C) businessmen who already suffer chronic diseases (are euqal or less than) people who do not travel internationally to develop chronic disease. it doesn't strength how dramatic changes in climate, frequent disruption of daily touring, and immersion in cultures other than own causes insomnia for international traveling businessmen .

[AthenaDalton]

Hi Lathlee,

Answer choice (C) eliminates the possibility that the group of business people who disproportionately suffer from insomnia were just more likely to volunteer for international travel that business people who don't have that condition. This strengthens the causal link between traveling and insomnia.

To see what this looks like in practice, compare these two scenarios:

Example 1: 100 business people volunteered for international assignments. 90 of the volunteers suffered from pre-existing chronic insomnia (i.e. they had this problem before starting their travel). A year after traveling abroad, 90 percent of the business people with international assignments suffered from chronic insomia.

Example 2: 100 business people volunteered for international assignments. 20 of the volunteers suffered from pre-existing chronic insomnia. A year after traveling abroad, 90 percent of the business people with international assignments suffered from chronic insomnia.

In example 2, there's a much stronger argument that traveling abroad was what caused chronic insomnia. By contrast, in example 1 it appears that people who already suffered from chronic insomnia self-selected into the travel group. This undermines the conclusion that the traveling itself caused their condition.

I hope that makes sense. Good luck studying!

[Pragmatism]

I chose the right answer, but the last part of answer choice C threw me off. What does "businesspeople who do not to accept assignments form their employers that require international travel" even mean?

[Claire Horan]

Hi pragmatism,

The group of "businesspeople who do not to accept assignments from their employers that require international travel" turns down job tasks that require them to travel internationally. So they do not travel internationally on business when asked.

[Adam Tyson]

Try breaking it down this way, pragmatism:

[Businesspeople who already suffer from chronic insomnia} are no more likely than [businesspeople who do not} to accept assignments from their employers that require international travel.

In other words, those with insomnia aren't any more likely to take those jobs than people without insomnia.

A long and confusing sentence, and it's easy to misread where the breaks should be! "Businesspeople who do not (have insomnia)" is a group being compared to another group.

Hope that helps!