Video games
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Doctor: Research shows that adolescents who play video games on a regular basis are three times as likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome as are adolescents who do not play video games. Federal legislation that prohibits the sale of video games to minors would help curb this painful wrist condition among adolescents.
The doctor’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?
a) The majority of federal legislators would vote for a bill that prohibits the sale of video games to minors.
b) Not all adolescents who play video games on a regular basis suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
c) Playing video games is the only way an adolescent can develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
d) Most parents would refuse to purchase video games for their adolescent children.
e) The regular playing of video games by adolescents does not produce such beneficial effects as better hand-eye coordination and improved reaction time.
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- Guest
- GMAT Cracker
Re: CR-VIDEOGAMES
ANSWER is D.
If parents buy video games for their children the proposed legislation willnt have any effect--
[quote="Anonymous"]Video games
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Doctor: Research shows that adolescents who play video games on a regular basis are three times as likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome as are adolescents who do not play video games. Federal legislation that prohibits the sale of video games to minors would help curb this painful wrist condition among adolescents.
The doctor’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?
a) The majority of federal legislators would vote for a bill that prohibits the sale of video games to minors.
b) Not all adolescents who play video games on a regular basis suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
c) Playing video games is the only way an adolescent can develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
d) Most parents would refuse to purchase video games for their adolescent children.
e) The regular playing of video games by adolescents does not produce such beneficial effects as better hand-eye coordination and improved reaction time.[/quote]
If parents buy video games for their children the proposed legislation willnt have any effect--
[quote="Anonymous"]Video games
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Doctor: Research shows that adolescents who play video games on a regular basis are three times as likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome as are adolescents who do not play video games. Federal legislation that prohibits the sale of video games to minors would help curb this painful wrist condition among adolescents.
The doctor’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?
a) The majority of federal legislators would vote for a bill that prohibits the sale of video games to minors.
b) Not all adolescents who play video games on a regular basis suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
c) Playing video games is the only way an adolescent can develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
d) Most parents would refuse to purchase video games for their adolescent children.
e) The regular playing of video games by adolescents does not produce such beneficial effects as better hand-eye coordination and improved reaction time.[/quote]
- RonPurewal
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the correct answer is (d).
this argument features a gap in logic: the doctor assumes that if the video games are not sold to adolescents, then those adolescents won't be able to play the games.
to bridge that logic gap, we must assume, inter alia, that no one else will buy the games and then turn them over to the adolescents. therefore, (d) is a necessary assumption.
choice (a) is tempting, but ultimately irrelevant: the doctor is not actually saying that this legislation will come to pass. rather, he is merely saying that, were there to be such legislation (a completely hypothetical premise), then the legislation would have consequence X.
this argument features a gap in logic: the doctor assumes that if the video games are not sold to adolescents, then those adolescents won't be able to play the games.
to bridge that logic gap, we must assume, inter alia, that no one else will buy the games and then turn them over to the adolescents. therefore, (d) is a necessary assumption.
choice (a) is tempting, but ultimately irrelevant: the doctor is not actually saying that this legislation will come to pass. rather, he is merely saying that, were there to be such legislation (a completely hypothetical premise), then the legislation would have consequence X.
- RonPurewal
- Students
- Posts: 19744
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:23 am
RR Wrote:I can understand that D is correct. But not sure why C is wrong. Can someone please elaborate ?
it's that pesky word only.
remember that an ASSUMPTION is something that is REQUIRED for the argument to stand. in other words, unless that particular assumption is made, the argument falls apart.
this argument certainly doesn't REQUIRE the assumption that there are no other precipitants of carpal-tunnel syndrome. it only deals with the correlation between video-game play and carpal tunnel, a correlation that is unaffected by the presence/absence of other causes of the syndrome.
if the argument had stated something absolute - like "this legislation will eliminate carpal tunnel among adolescents" - THEN you would need such an assumption, because the total elimination of the syndrome would require a lack of other causes. but the argument says nothing so absolute; it just claims that the legislation would "help curb" (i.e., reduce) the incidence of the syndrome.
--
analogy:
let's say tanning correlates with skin cancer. if i tell you to stop tanning, so that you will have a decreased risk of skin cancer, this doesn't require an assumption that nothing else can give you skin cancer.
6 posts Page 1 of 1