Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sicknes

Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sickness. The astronauts see their own motion relative to passing objects, but while the astronauts are weightless their inner ears indicate that their bodies are not moving. The astronauts’ experience is best explained by the hypothesis that conflicting information received by the brain about the body’s motion causes motion sickness.

Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the hypotheses above?


(A) During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins providing a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabins providing no view. Incorrect

it provides a way how people get less sickness

(B) Many people who are experienced airplane passengers occasionally get motion sickness. Incorrect

additional information

(C) Some automobile passengers whose inner ears indicate that they are moving and who have a clear view of the objects they are passing get motion sickness. Correct

support conclusion, conflicting information received by the brain caused motion sickness

(D) People who have aisle seats in trains or airplanes are as likely to get motion sickness as are people who have window seats. Incorrect

new info

(E) Some astronauts do not get motion sickness even after being in orbit for several days. Incorrect

against argument

(A) During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins providing a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabins providing no view. -- This doesn't indicate a conflict. Or atleast I can't figure out how is conflict embedded in this choice. Keep.

(B) Many people who are experienced airplane passengers occasionally get motion sickness. -- Irrelevant. We need examples of conflicting information causing motion sickness not motion sickness in isolation. Eliminate.

(C) Some automobile passengers whose inner ears indicate that they are moving and who have a clear view of the objects they are passing get motion sickness. -- So inner ears indicate "they are moving" (but the pax in reality are stationery in the car), clear view of objects indicates movement -- looks conflicting information to me. And the choice says these pax get motion sickness. Eliminate A. Correct choice is C.

(D) People who have aisle seats in trains or airplanes are as likely to get motion sickness as are people who have window seats. -- No conflict here. Eliminate.

(E) Some astronauts do not get motion sickness even after being in orbit for several days. -- not relevant. Eliminate.

Tricky question. Similar to a “mimic the reasoning” type question rather than most strengthen questions.

The author is providing a Cause and Effect Conclusion. He believes that the conflicting information received by the brain about the body’s motion is the cause of motion sickness in astronauts.

The inner ears (1 part of the body) is telling the astronauts they are not moving while, at the same time, the eyes (2nd part of the body) are allowing the astronauts to see their own motion.

The fact pattern that will most support this hypothesis is one where:

-one part of the body is telling the brain that the person is not moving

-second part of the body is telling the brain the person IS moving

-and you have the “effect” of motion sickness

(A)”During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins provided a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabin provided no view.”

Restating answer (A), the passengers during a rough ship voyage who do NOT have a view of the water are more likely to get motion sickness.

If it is a rough sea voyage on a ship, the body will be moving abruptly with the ebbs and tides of the water. The body will have the sense of moving with the ship.

However, because these passengers can not “see” any passing movement through the window, the “eyes” will not be able to tell the person he or she is actually moving. These passengers are not able to see “their own motion relative to passing objects.”

In the astronauts case: the eyes are sensing “movement” while the ears indicate “no movement.”

In the ship passenger with no window case: the eyes are sensing “NO movement” while the body is in fact moving with the ship on the rough sea voyage.



Although the exact details are a bit different, just like the astronaut, the ship passenger with no window is receiving “conflicting information” about the body’s movement. And just like the astronaut, the ship passenger with no window is more likely to experience “motion sickness”.

Answer (A) suggests that when the cause (“conflicting information about body’s movement”) is present, the effect (“motion sickness”) is more likely to occur.

In this way, the factual scenario provides support to the hypothesis that the brain receiving “conflicting information” about the astronaut’s movement is the cause of the astronaut’s “motion sickness”

Answer (A) best supports the hypothesis.

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Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sickness. The astronauts see their own motion relative to passing objects, but while the astronauts are weightless their inner ears indicate that their bodies are not moving. The astronauts’ experience is best explained by the hypothesis that conflicting information received by the brain about the body’s motion causes motion sickness.

Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the hypotheses above?

(A) During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins providing a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabins providing no view. - CORRECT. Yes, conflicting info is given.

(B) Many people who are experienced airplane passengers occasionally get motion sickness. - WRONG. Nothing as such is given about the conflicting nature of the info being given.

(C) Some automobile passengers whose inner ears indicate that they are moving and who have a clear view of the objects they are passing get motion sickness. - WRONG. No conflict in the info of ears and eyes.

(D) People who have aisle seats in trains or airplanes are as likely to get motion sickness as are people who have window seats. - WRONG. What about ears.!!!

(E) Some astronauts do not get motion sickness even after being in orbit for several days. - WRONG. Exceptions that can't be relied upon.

True that experienced astronauts get motion sickness but how they get it is what crucial in this argument - as is the case with any CR passage. The reasoning is given in the last sentence - conflicting info from eyes and ears received in the brain. So, which one of the five options give us that. Only A gives.

Answer A.