Critical Reasoning

When a person is under intense psychological stress, his or her cardiovascular response is the same as it is during vigorous physical exercise. Psychological stress, then, must be beneficial for the heart as is vigorous physical exercise.
The argument above relies on which of the following assumptions?
(A) Exercise is an effective means of relieving psychological stress.
(B) The body's short-term cardiovascular response to any activity indicates that activity's long-term effect on the body.
(C) Cardiovascular response during an activity is an adequate measure of how beneficial the activity is for the heart.
(D) Psychological stress can have a positive effect on the body.
(E) Vigorous exercise is the most reliable method of maintaining a healthy heart.

OA C but why not B . Please explain

(B) The body's short-term cardiovascular response to any activity indicates that activity's long-term effect on the body.

B increased the scope of the argument and thus is incorrect. We are only concerned with two activities - Psychological stress and vigorous physical exercise.



(C) Cardiovascular response during an activity is an adequate measure of how beneficial the activity is for the heart. - Is a clear assumption that is needed to reach the conclusion. Try negating this answer choice and you'll find your reason.

Can someone please explain why E can't be the answer...

hitesht wrote:Can someone please explain why E can't be the answer...

P1: When a person is under intense psychological stress, his or her cardiovascular response is the same as it is during vigorous physical exercise.
C1: Psychological stress, then, must be beneficial for the heart as is vigorous physical exercise.

The conclusion claims that psychological stress is as beneficial for the heart as vigorous physical exercise. The premise provides one way in which the two are similar (both have the same cardiovascular response). The author is assuming that this one similarity is enough to justify the conclusion. In other words, the author is assuming that cardiovascular response is a good indicator of how beneficial an activity is for the heart. Answer (C) states this assumption.

(E) "Vigorous exercise is the most reliable method of maintaining a healthy heart."

The easiest way to eliminate this answer is to negate it and test whether the conclusion holds up. If this answer is an assumption of the argument, when it is negated the conclusion will not hold. This answer negated becomes, "Vigorous exercise is NOT the most reliable method of maintaining a healthy heart."

Does this affect the conclusion? No. Vigorous exercise does not have to be the most beneficial or "reliable" way of maintaining a healthy heart. As long as it has some benefit the conclusion that psychological stress is also beneficial will hold.

Additionally, the fact that this answer mentions what is reliable when the conclusion is about what is beneficial is probably enough by itself to eliminate the answer.

Thanks rkanthilal...