Critical Reasoning

Recent research has indicated that married people are not only happier than unmarried people, but also healthier. This study has been widely reported by the media, with most commentators concluding that being married is good for one's health and attitude.

The conclusion of the media commentators depends on which of the following assumptions?

The longer people are married, the happier and healthier they become.

Married couples who had a large, extravagant wedding are happier than those who had a small, simple ceremony.

Married people cannot get depressed.

Single people with depression or health problems are just as likely to get married as are other single people.

Some marriages are more harmonious than others.

OA D

1. Reports say that married people are happier and healthier
2. Being married must be good for ones health and happiness

A. Incorrect. While this may be something we could infer from the passage it is not an assumption on which the conclusion is based. Time has nothing to do with this conclusion. Simply being married does. Whether a week a day or a year you are happier than an unmarried person.

B. Incorrect. Irrelevant. We only care about married vs unmarried not subgroups of married people.

C. Incorrect. This is never stated or implied. Just because married people are happier does not mean that they can not get depressed.

D. Correct. This would be an assumption. In order for the conclusion to be valid people with problems have to be likely to also get married. Once married their depression should lessen and health improve. If they are never getting married then the conclusion would be that happy and healthy single people are those who get married while depressed and sick people do not get married.

E. Incorrect. Like B this choice talks about subgroups within the married community, which is irrelevant to this conclusion.

E.

Hi whats the source?