a question from PS CR bible

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a question from PS CR bible

by hongwang9703 » Wed May 05, 2010 5:48 pm
While it was once believed that the sort of psychotherapy appropriate for the treatment of neuroses caused by environmental factors is also appropriate for schizophrenia and other psychoses, it is now known that these latter, more serious forms of mental disturbance are best treated by biochemical - that is, medicinal - means.
This is conclusive evidence that psychoses, unlike neuroses have nothing to do with environmental factors but rather are caused by some sort of purely organic condition, such as abnormal brain chemistry or brain malformations.

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in the book it states that the conclusion is:
This is conclusive evidence that psychoses, unlike neuroses have nothing to do with environmental factors but rather are caused by some sort of purely organic condition, such as abnormal brain chemistry or brain malformations.

however, i think that the conclusion should be : it is now known that these latter, more serious forms of mental disturbance are best treated by biochemical - that is, medicinal - means

By using mgmat's "therefore" conclusion method: BECAUSE of the conclusive evidence about phychoses and the environmental factors, THEREFORE more serious forms of mental disturbance are best treated by medicinal means!

this is from PowerScore Critical Reasoning bible, page 40.

please let me know where i am wrong!

thank you ahead of time sir or miss
i got utterly defeated by the gmat.
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by iamseer » Thu May 06, 2010 11:00 pm
Conclusion is something that is arrived at based on facts, evidence, assumptions etc. It is the author's main point. And the author states the main point by giving some reasoning in form of a study or some facts or etc etc.
While it was once believed that the sort of psychotherapy appropriate for the treatment of neuroses caused by environmental factors is also appropriate for schizophrenia and other psychoses, it is now known that these latter, more serious forms of mental disturbance are best treated by biochemical - that is, medicinal - means.
This is conclusive evidence that psychoses, unlike neuroses have nothing to do with environmental factors but rather are caused by some sort of purely organic condition, such as abnormal brain chemistry or brain malformations.
In the above argument:
"This is conclusive evidence that psychoses, unlike neuroses have nothing to do with environmental factors but rather are caused by some sort of purely organic condition, such as abnormal brain chemistry or brain malformations." is author's contention(main point) based on the evidence/fact/study that is presented just before it.

The sentence that you have marked could be a conclusion but then the argument has to be different. The author has to make that statement his/her main point and support it with relevant points.

Any statement could be a conclusion or a premise in itself. It is the context that decides the role the statement plays in the argument.

HTH
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