Although parapsychology is often considered a pseudoscience, it is in

Although parapsychology is often considered a pseudoscience, it is in fact a genuine scientific enterprise, for it uses scientific methods such as controlled experiments and statistical tests of clearly stated hypotheses to examine the questions it raises.

Understanding the argument: Even though parapsychology is considered a pseudo(nor real) science, it is in fact actual science. Why? Because parapsychology uses scientific methods to examine questions it raises.
Conclusion: Parapsychology is an actual science.

The conclusion above is properly drawn if which of the following is assumed?
Question stem: It asks us to find an assumption.

For an answer choice to be correct for assumption-type questions, it needs to have two main characters:
1. It needs to belong to the supporter family
2. The negation of the answer choice should make the conclusion fall apart

Therefore, if negated, we need to identify which of the following answer choices will imply that parapsychology is not a real science.

Steps to approach the options:
1. Identify the gist of the answer choice and understand the meaning
2. Negate the option
3. Identify if the negated statement supports or weakens or has no impact on the conclusion

(A) If a field of study can conclusively answer the questions it raises, then it is a genuine science.
Negation: If a field of study can answer the question it raises, then it is not a genuine science
Analysis: If the negation is true, then the link between the premise and conclusion need not necessarily fall apart because the premise says that parapsychology is an actual science because it examines the questions it raises. It does not say anything about conclusively answering the question it raises.

(B) Since parapsychology uses scientific methods, it will produce credible results.
Analysis: Whether or not parapsychology produces credible results is not something we are concerned about. We are concerned about whether parapsychology is an actual science. We are not given any link between actual science and the credibility of the results of the field.

(C) Any enterprise that does not use controlled experiments and statistical tests is not genuine science.
Negation: Any enterprise that does not use controlled experiments and statistical tests is actual science
Analysis: If the negation were true, then parapsychology is not an actual science because parapsychology uses controlled experiments and statistical tests. Therefore, the conclusion falls apart from the negation. Keep it!

(D) Any field of study that employs scientific methods is a genuine scientific enterprise.
Negation: Any field of study that employs scientific methods is not a genuine scientific enterprise
Analysis: If the negation were true, it can be inferred that parapsychology is not a genuine scientific enterprise because parapsychology employs scientific methods. Therefore, the negation makes the conclusion fall apart. Keep it!

(E) Since parapsychology raises clearly statable questions, they can be tested in controlled experiments.
Analysis: It just states the same thing that we have in the premise - parapsychology can be tested in controlled experiments. Therefore, this is not relevant.

Out of (C) and (D), (C) limits the answer choice to just controlled experiments and statistical tests. However, in the argument, these are just two of many scientific methods that, if a field of study employs, suggest that that field of study is an actual science. On the other hand, choice (D) expands this view to all the scientific methods. Therefore, the correct answer choice is (D)