Critical Reasoning

Some people believe that good health is due to luck. However, studies from many countries indicate a strong correlation between good health and high educational levels. Thus research supports the view that good health is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices. The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
A. presumes, without providing justification that only highly educated people make informed lifestyle choices
B. overlooks the possibility that people who make informed lifestyle choices may nonetheless suffer from inherited diseases
C. presumes, without providing justification, that informed lifestyle choices are available to everyone
D. overlooks the possibility that the same thing may causally contribute both to education and to good health
E. does not acknowledge that some people who fail to make informed lifestyle choices are in good health

my answer E.
OA pls?

i think it is C

I think it's A.

Haha, three different people, three different answers.

Where is 'avenus'?

OA please...........................

I chose A.

I think it is A and i am confident because not all educated people need to be well informed.

Stimulus states that

High level of education --> Informed Life style choices (ILC)--> Good Health G.

Conclusion is that GH is result of ILC. Note that if stimulus states a causal relationship, author assumes that there are no other causes for the stated effect.

To weaken, bring a new possibility. What if there is another reason that causes both ILC & GH. D does that.

OA?

Imo b. The conclusion assumes that you can improve your health by being more informed. B says that state of health could be beyond your control regardless of how well educated you are.

OA D

avenus wrote:OA D

I still don't understand why D is a better choice than B...can someone pls explain to me why B is wrong. I have given my logic for why I think it should be in earlier reply above...

thanks.

avenus wrote:Some people believe that good health is due to luck. However, studies from many countries indicate a strong correlation between good health and high educational levels. Thus research supports the view that good health is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices. The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
A. presumes, without providing justification that only highly educated people make informed lifestyle choices
B. overlooks the possibility that people who make informed lifestyle choices may nonetheless suffer from inherited diseases
C. presumes, without providing justification, that informed lifestyle choices are available to everyone
D. overlooks the possibility that the same thing may causally contribute both to education and to good health
E. does not acknowledge that some people who fail to make informed lifestyle choices are in good health

D IMO.
A really good question. I started choosing answers which I liked while reading the choices.
First I selected A because it looks right that it is presuming that only highly educated ppl make informed lifestyle choices.
Then I even kept B in my bucket of right answers thta it is overlooking the possibility of inherited diseases. This had less points than A for me. Because inherited diseases can happen to anyone but if you consider overall general health, then a research can have data etc.
C --> Removed without any thoughts. It's out of scope. If informed lifestyle choices are available to anyone then study is not required and research falls apart. So research is not presuming it.
D --> This was the best of the lot I got. See the point here, if informed lifestyle can cause both good education and good health, then the argument falls apart because now, good education is not the reason of I.L. and G.H. It is IL which is the reason for GE and GH. Also, when I looked at this option, I initially thought of ignoring it as the "it" was kind of hidden and I had to search for it's meaning (takes 5 secs but I am a lazy bum). But just realise that GMAC wants to test this ability only. It wants to keep the actual answers as far away from you as it can.
E --> This is also good point but not as strong as D.

So I chose D. Please let me know if there is any better way of choosing them or if I can improvise on my strategy.

Thanks.

I'm still not convinced about the choice 'D'.
I chose 'B'...my second best ans would have been 'E'. can somebody pls explain this ques more clearly?

Here's my take!

Some people believe that good health is due to luck. However, studies from many countries indicate a strong correlation between good health and high educational levels. Thus research supports the view that good health is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument

A. presumes, without providing justification that only highly educated people make informed lifestyle choices --> only is what I object to. The premise states that "good health is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices." There may be a presumption that good health is linked to lifestyle choices but definitely not "only". Also, education and 'educated people' sound like scope shift. Could have overlooked this but the "only" part sealed it.

B. overlooks the possibility that people who make informed lifestyle choices may nonetheless suffer from inherited diseases --> irrelevant

C. presumes, without providing justification, that informed lifestyle choices are available to everyone --> there is no presumption like this.

D. overlooks the possibility that the same thing may causally contribute both to education and to good health --> this is tricky. At least I found it tricky but if you closely look at the premises, the fact that lifestyle choices could contribute to good health and education is not negated anywhere. Classic weakener --> Cause leads to effect is stated. But what if the effect and the cause are interchanged?

E. does not acknowledge that some people who fail to make informed lifestyle choices are in good health --> "some people" is 1) not a representation of the general thought. 2) informed choices --> good health. If not good health, then not informed choices. But if not informed choices, then not good health is not true.

I did not find D an overwhelming favourite but POE brought me here. However if I had my doubts until I saw the OA.

Is this a GMAT question? If yes, then would request experts to show the way. Phew!

Nope. Not a GMAT question.

Just when I think that we have something that is not from the LSAT - I find that it is an LSAT question like so many others here.

This is from the December 2002 test, section Logical Reasoning Section, #20.

Now as you will know if you have read my longer postings on using the LSAT to study for the GMAT that when you get past question 16 the LSAT questions are usually harder than what you will see on the GMAT.

This question is a "flawed reasoning" type of question. So that type of question is compatible with the GMAT but this would be harder version.

It is not GMAT would you still like to discuss how to attack it?