#2 - A physician who is too thorough in conducting a medical

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (B)

The stimulus asserts that it is difficult for a physician to judge exactly how thorough to be. If a physician is too thorough, there is unnecessary discomfort and expense. If the physician is not thorough enough, it is possible to miss serious problem. The stimulus then concludes that it is unwise to go for a checkup if you do not feel ill.

The argument presumes that the negatives of attending the doctor potentially outweigh the positives if one is healthy. You are asked to support the conclusion, so it is likely you will simply address the argument on the very basic level of the pros and cons of seeing the doctor while probably healthy.

Answer choice (A): If not all medical tests cause discomfort, then there are fewer considerations against regular medical checkups. This response removes some of the support for the stimulus' conclusion.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.If unnecessary medical tests can actually cause healthy people to become ill, that adds to the considerations against submitting one's self to "thorough" testing, and somewhat supports the idea that someone who feels healthy should not see a doctor.

Answer choice (C): More than likely, a patient who refuses to accept the doctor's assurances that the patient is healthy is a patient who feels ill or who in some way suspects illness. The stimulus recommends that patients who do not feel ill should not go to the doctor, so patients who may erroneously believe they are ill does not clearly speak to the issue in the stimulus.

Answer choice (D): If thoroughness makes it more likely that doctors can catch a rare illness, that might make it more likely that a person should submit to checkups even if that person does not feel ill. This choice might weaken the conclusion, so this choice is wrong.

Answer choice (E): If physicians can eliminate the need for tests by careful questioning, that might make it easier for a physician to be very thorough without causing much discomfort or expense. That somewhat removes considerations the argument used to support the idea that people should avoid the doctor unless they feel ill, so this incorrect choice weakens the conclusion.

[mpoulson]

Hello,

I don't understand how to come to the Answer B in question 27. I recognize that the conclusion is that "it is generally unwise for patients to have ...when they do not feel ill". However, I didn't understand how to best support the conclusion with the answer choices given. I originally chose D thinking that if a patient waits until they feel ill then goes to doctor they will discover a rare disease if they have it. However, I do recognize that that doesn't cover the full range of ailments so maybe that is why it is not as effective as B. Please clarify and provide insight for future justification questions for how to attack effectively. Thank you.

Micah

[Robert Carroll]

Micah,

Because the conclusion is advising people not to have checkups when they do not feel ill, we need a reason why it's a bad idea - it will leave them worse off, or there will be a financial cost, or something like that. Answer choice (D) is not relevant to the conclusion - it does not provide a reason why those not feeling ill should avoid checkups. It actually seems to show that more tests should be given to discover rare diseases a patient may have. This does not provide patients who do not feel ill a reason to avoid checkups, so it does not strengthen the argument in the stimulus.

Answer choice (B) gives a reason for those not feeling ill to avoid checkups - if those who don't feel ill are healthy, unnecessary medical tests may actually cause them to become unhealthy. Thus, there is a downside to getting checkups for a person not feeling ill, and such a person should avoid them. This is what the conclusion claimed, so this answer choice helps strengthen the argument.

Robert Carroll

[jrc3813]

In the stimulus it mentions patients that do not "feel" ill. Answer B works if you assume that if you feel healthy you are healthy. But what if you have an illness that shows no symptoms until it's too late. That would be a reason to have checkups even if you feel fine. Is this an actual weakness in the argument that could be an answer choice if this were a weaken question?

[Adam Tyson]

Absolutely correct, jrc! The correct answer here strengthens, but does not justify, the conclusion. It adds support for the claim that people who feel okay shouldn't go for a checkup, but fails to take into account that feeling ill is not the same as being ill. If this was a weaken question we would look for an answer that suggests there's a reason to get a checkup anyway.

Nice work!

[Nicholas Noyes]

Hi,

I answered D for this one. I there a "rogue element" factor in this because "do not feel ill" is mentioned only in the conclusion of the stimulus and nowhere else? Or does that only work in Assumption questions and this is a strengthen question?

Thanks,
Nicholas

[Robert Carroll]

Nicholas,

The rogue element factor is applicable here and is applicable in general to Strengthen, Assumption, and Justify questions. If you see a rogue element in the conclusion, prephrase an answer that addresses it in the appropriate way.

In this case, answer choice (D) gives, if anything, a reason why you SHOULD see a doctor, while the conclusion is talking about some cases where seeing a doctor is a bad idea. That makes answer choice (D) an opposite answer.

Robert Carroll