Kap 800 Question

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 184
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 9:57 pm
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:5 members
GMAT Score:700

Kap 800 Question

by chaitanya.mehrotra » Sat Jul 30, 2011 7:20 am
Studies of trauma victims suggest that shock brought on by violent or life-threatening situations causes damage to the hippocampi, structures in the brain that play a crucial role in learning and memory. Researchers found that in combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms, which include nightmares and vivid flashbacks, the hippocampi were eight percent smaller in volume than in combat veterans who suffered no such symptoms. The researchers concluded that the hippocampi had lost cell mass as a result of trauma.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the researchers' conclusion drawn above?
1 In another study, subjects who had experienced the death of a close relative were found to have no reduction in the volume of their hippocampi when compared to those whose close relatives were all still living.
2 In the study, the traumatized veterans were compared with other veterans of similar background, body size, and other characteristics that might have a bearing on brain size.
3 Some individuals are born with hippocampi whose volume is smaller than average, and this reduced volume makes them more susceptible to post¬traumatic stress symptoms.
4 Combat veterans who experience post-traumatic stress symptoms perform significantly worse on tests of verbal memory compared with veterans who suffer no such symptoms.
5 Further study revealed that veterans who had seen more intense combat and had more severe post-traumatic symptoms exhibited even greater reduction in the volume of their hippocampi.

OA after some discussion. Guys please mention ur timing as well , could cracked it only in 3:00 min ;(....
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:52 am
Thanked: 3 times

by M09 » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:04 am
chaitanya.mehrotra wrote:Studies of trauma victims suggest that shock brought on by violent or life-threatening situations causes damage to the hippocampi, structures in the brain that play a crucial role in learning and memory. Researchers found that in combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms, which include nightmares and vivid flashbacks, the hippocampi were eight percent smaller in volume than in combat veterans who suffered no such symptoms. The researchers concluded that the hippocampi had lost cell mass as a result of trauma.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the researchers' conclusion drawn above?
1 In another study, subjects who had experienced the death of a close relative were found to have no reduction in the volume of their hippocampi when compared to those whose close relatives were all still living.
2 In the study, the traumatized veterans were compared with other veterans of similar background, body size, and other characteristics that might have a bearing on brain size.
3 Some individuals are born with hippocampi whose volume is smaller than average, and this reduced volume makes them more susceptible to post¬traumatic stress symptoms.
4 Combat veterans who experience post-traumatic stress symptoms perform significantly worse on tests of verbal memory compared with veterans who suffer no such symptoms.
5 Further study revealed that veterans who had seen more intense combat and had more severe post-traumatic symptoms exhibited even greater reduction in the volume of their hippocampi.

OA after some discussion. Guys please mention ur timing as well , could cracked it only in 3:00 min ;(....
IMO 3 2:13
gives an alternate reason.
OA Please?

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 489
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:10 am
Thanked: 28 times
Followed by:5 members

by gmatblood » Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:33 am
IMO: C

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:29 pm
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:1 members

by Bek » Sat Jul 30, 2011 9:46 am
IMO: A

This choice describes a situation when trauma not cause reduction in the volume of their hippocampi.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 67
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:34 am
Location: india
Thanked: 1 times

by dinaroneo » Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:19 pm
Clearly C; 2:14;
the language used here tends to slow you down!!

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:29 pm
Thanked: 5 times
Followed by:1 members

by Bek » Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:50 am
OA is C

Legendary Member
Posts: 627
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:12 am
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

by mankey » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:53 am
Can someone post OA for this one, please?

Thanks
Mankey

Legendary Member
Posts: 2789
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:19 am
Location: Chennai, India
Thanked: 206 times
Followed by:43 members
GMAT Score:640

by GmatKiss » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:01 pm
IMO:C , less than 2 mins

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 416
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:48 am
Thanked: 28 times
Followed by:6 members

by gunjan1208 » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:03 am
IMO C; Less than 2 minutes

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 242
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:49 am
Location: Delhi
Thanked: 6 times

by ranjeet75 » Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:14 am
Studies of trauma victims suggest that shock brought on by violent or life-threatening situations causes damage to the hippocampi, structures in the brain that play a crucial role in learning and memory. Researchers found that in combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms, which include nightmares and vivid flashbacks, the hippocampi were eight percent smaller in volume than in combat veterans who suffered no such symptoms. The researchers concluded that the hippocampi had lost cell mass as a result of trauma.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the researchers' conclusion drawn above?
1 In another study, subjects who had experienced the death of a close relative were found to have no reduction in the volume of their hippocampi when compared to those whose close relatives were all still living. [b]- [color=red]Contender but the death of relative may not be so traumatic[/color][/b]
2 In the study, the traumatized veterans were compared with other veterans of similar background, body size, and other characteristics that might have a bearing on brain size. - [b][color=red]It strengthens[/color][/b]
3 Some individuals are born with hippocampi whose volume is smaller than average, and this reduced volume makes them more susceptible to post¬traumatic stress symptoms. - [b][color=green]Yes it weakens because the alternate cause for lower hippocampi is given[/color][/b]
4 Combat veterans who experience post-traumatic stress symptoms perform significantly worse on tests of verbal memory compared with veterans who suffer no such symptoms. - [color=red][b]It strengthens[/b][/color]
5 Further study revealed that veterans who had seen more intense combat and had more severe post-traumatic symptoms exhibited even greater reduction in the volume of their hippocampi. - [color=red][b]It strengthens[/b] [/color]

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:48 am

by indi » Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:34 am
Is answer C..

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 496
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:34 am
Thanked: 38 times
Followed by:1 members

by sl750 » Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:14 am
Conclusion: Trauma causes reduction in size of hippocampi
Choice C gives us an alternative reason that weakens the author's conclusion

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 172
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:35 am
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:610

by karthikgmat » Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:28 pm
Not a tough question to answer.. But it's size threatens to eat time.

IMO C.

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 5:10 am
Location: Vietnam
Thanked: 10 times
Followed by:5 members

by tuanquang269 » Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:18 am
Tough one. I choose A, but it really irrelevant to the premise of argument. Only only shock brought by violent or life-threatening situations (NOT the death of a close relative) causes damage to hippocampi.

In my first thought, I eliminate C because it mention "some people", not representative and assume "the death of a close relative" brings shock that cause hippocampi. This is wrong thought.

Am I correct? Please help me :D

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:16 am
Location: AAMCHI MUMBAI LOCAL
Thanked: 63 times
Followed by:14 members

by [email protected] » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:48 pm
Yes right!!! not a tough one to answer, basic causal reasoning in the picture. The OA is definitely C. A looks close initially but then does not as death of a close relative is not violent or might not be life threatening. Just the size of the question eats away a lot of time,
approximately 2 mins on an average which is quiet high for a verbal question...


Hope this helped, by the way what is the OA, not mentioned above...
IT IS TIME TO BEAT THE GMAT

LEARNING, APPLICATION AND TIMING IS THE FACT OF GMAT AND LIFE AS WELL... KEEP PLAYING!!!

Whenever you feel that my post really helped you to learn something new, please press on the 'THANK' button.