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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activi 05 Apr 2024, 10:45
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AlexGenkins1234

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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people-that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills-suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?

(A) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

(B) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

(C) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

(D) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.

Hit +Kudos, if you like this post.
The stimulus establishes the following logical chain:

More [Social Contact] -> Social interaction -> More Mental Skills -> More [Mental Sharpness]

Now answer choice B is somthing one must know in the gamt: a general description of one parameter as the other parameter changes can weaken or strengthen an argument becuase is talk about a relationship between 2 parameters.

Answer choice B says:

Less Mental Sharpness --> less Social Contact

Now, if you'll look at the original logical chain you can clearly see that:
[ Social Contact ] -> [ Mental Sharpness ] but option B says the opposite.

This clearly weakens the causational relationship between the parameters.
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­Is it true for any CR question of cause and effect where if A-->B is occuring, then Not B--> Not A will weaken the argument?
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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activi 15 Oct 2024, 09:40
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B : Its simply one of the causal argument weakners ;
X cause Y can be weaken by proving 1) Y caused X(B option here ) or 2)some other thing caused Y not necessarily X .
WillGetIt
It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?


(A) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

(B) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

(C) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

(D) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.


Similar Official Question : LINK

Show Spoiler
Staying Sharp

Step 1: Identify the Question

The word weakens in the question stem indicates that this is a Weaken the Argument question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument

Assump: intell activities nec to stay sharp w/ aging

BUT: study shows + social contact → + mental skills

© social contact is enough to stay sharp

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

In a Weaken problem, the right answer will make the conclusion less likely to be correct. In this case, the right answer will suggest that social contact alone isn’t enough to maintain mental sharpness as one ages. It might suggest that the study’s conclusions were faulty, or that something else is needed in addition to social contact.

Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right

(A) This answer choice describes a suggestion that some people give to older people. The suggestion is based on a particular assumption: that older people need mental exercise in order to stay sharp. However, even though people buy into this assumption and even give advice based on it, it could still be incorrect. The well-meaning advisors could actually be basing their advice on incorrect information.

(B) CORRECT. The argument clams that social contact causes better mental skills. This might not actually be the case. If illness limits both social contact and mental acuity, then the study would be correct in noting that social contact is associated with better mental skills. However, it would be wrong to conclude that one causes the other, since a third factor—good health—actually causes both of them (i.e. healthy people are more likely to have strong mental sharpness and significant social interactions).

(C) This doesn’t weaken the link between social contact and mental sharpness. The answer choice doesn’t specify whether these proficient people are or aren’t mentally sharp. If they do maintain their mental sharpness, it could still be attributable to social contact, mental exercise, both, or neither. (Also, note that someone who is proficient in solving mathematical problems doesn’t necessarily solve math problems regularly.)

(D) This answer choice attacks the methods used by a study, rather than that study’s conclusions. Typically, as in this case, these answer choices are incorrect. The issue is that, only using the information in the argument and the answer choice, there’s no way to know whether studies that analyze data are less accurate than studies that collect original data. You may have personal beliefs about the matter, but the right answer to a Critical Reasoning problem will only ever use information found within the argument, with very few exceptions.

(E) The conclusion states that social contact improves mental skills. This could be true regardless of how mental skills are tested. Perhaps social contact improves performance on math problems.
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We have to weaken the evidence

Evidence says: More Social contact -> causes -> better mental skills, i.e. Less Social Contact -> causes -> Lower mental skills

We know to weaken a causal relationship when A cause B, is C cause both A and B and that's what option B does.
WillGetIt
It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?


(A) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

(B) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

(C) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

(D) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.


Similar Official Question : LINK

Show Spoiler
Staying Sharp

Step 1: Identify the Question

The word weakens in the question stem indicates that this is a Weaken the Argument question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument

Assump: intell activities nec to stay sharp w/ aging

BUT: study shows + social contact → + mental skills

© social contact is enough to stay sharp

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

In a Weaken problem, the right answer will make the conclusion less likely to be correct. In this case, the right answer will suggest that social contact alone isn’t enough to maintain mental sharpness as one ages. It might suggest that the study’s conclusions were faulty, or that something else is needed in addition to social contact.

Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right

(A) This answer choice describes a suggestion that some people give to older people. The suggestion is based on a particular assumption: that older people need mental exercise in order to stay sharp. However, even though people buy into this assumption and even give advice based on it, it could still be incorrect. The well-meaning advisors could actually be basing their advice on incorrect information.

(B) CORRECT. The argument clams that social contact causes better mental skills. This might not actually be the case. If illness limits both social contact and mental acuity, then the study would be correct in noting that social contact is associated with better mental skills. However, it would be wrong to conclude that one causes the other, since a third factor—good health—actually causes both of them (i.e. healthy people are more likely to have strong mental sharpness and significant social interactions).

(C) This doesn’t weaken the link between social contact and mental sharpness. The answer choice doesn’t specify whether these proficient people are or aren’t mentally sharp. If they do maintain their mental sharpness, it could still be attributable to social contact, mental exercise, both, or neither. (Also, note that someone who is proficient in solving mathematical problems doesn’t necessarily solve math problems regularly.)

(D) This answer choice attacks the methods used by a study, rather than that study’s conclusions. Typically, as in this case, these answer choices are incorrect. The issue is that, only using the information in the argument and the answer choice, there’s no way to know whether studies that analyze data are less accurate than studies that collect original data. You may have personal beliefs about the matter, but the right answer to a Critical Reasoning problem will only ever use information found within the argument, with very few exceptions.

(E) The conclusion states that social contact improves mental skills. This could be true regardless of how mental skills are tested. Perhaps social contact improves performance on math problems.
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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activi 17 Oct 2024, 10:58
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KarishmaB
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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?


(A) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

(B) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

(C) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

(D) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.



Since this question seems to be still causing trouble, here is my input on all the options.

Argument:

People assume that engagement in intellectual activities such as puzzles or math is required order to maintain mental sharpness.
Study shows that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Conclusion: Social interactions are enough to maintain mental sharpness.

This is simply a correlation-causation error question.

Study notes Correlation - X (social engagements) and Y (sharp mind) appear together.
The author erroneously concludes that X causes Y.

Because the study reveals that people with higher social engagements have better mental skills, the author is concluding that social engagements lead to better mental skills. But what if people with better mental skills are the ones who are socially active? What if those whose mental skills have deteriorated do not want to engage with people? That is, what if good mental skills are the cause of social engagements i.e. what if instead Y causes X? Or what if another agent Z causes both X and Y? For example, bad diet causes both obesity and heart disease. Someone may conduct a study and find that obese people have more heart troubles. Does it mean that obesity is causing heart troubles? Probably not. Bad diet is the reason for both.

What will weaken the argument that X causes Y? If we find that Y causes X, or Z causes both X and Y, then we will weaken that X causes Y.

(A) As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

The advice given depends on the current beliefs of the doctors. It may or may not be meaningful.

(B) Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

Correct. This says that Z (many medical conditions) affects a person's mental sharpness and decreases their social engagement. That could be the reason why the study showed that people with higher social engagements have better mental skills. Hence it weakens the conclusion that social engagements cause sharp mental skills.

(C) Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

Irrelevant.

(D) The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

Nothing says that prior studies are not accurate so no effect on our conclusion.

(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.


This shows that the study did a good job of evaluating mental sharpness and hence this option works in favour of the author's conclusion.

If I tell you that a study showed that social interaction is enough to maintain mental sharpness, you might ask me, "how was mental sharpness measured?"

I can reply in different ways:

Case 1: If I say that they checked people's language skills to measure mental sharpness, what will be your reply to it?

You will likely say that then obviously the study would show that social interaction is enough to maintain mental sharpness. After all, social interaction involves language so people who interact often are bound to have better language skills. Does that mean that these people have sharp mental skills? Not necessary. Mental skills should be measured in all aspects - language, mathematical, rational etc.

Case 2: But instead, if I say that they checked people's Math skills to measure mental sharpness, then you might say, "Hey, your conclusion does seem to have merit. Social interactions don't have anything to do with Math but they improve Math skills too. This means that they might improve overall mental skills."

Option (E) tells us that the study measured math skills. Then it makes my study results a bit more applicable and genuine. Hence it in no way weakens the argument. It strengthens it, if at all.

Answer (B)
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Hi Karishma,

Option E is confusing because we tend to believe that the answer choice should show correlation between mental sharpness with conversation however in option Choice E it shows that the study judged mental sharpness through Maths problems and looks like a weakener.

As per your answer choice analysis, it tells us that we should judge mental skills through maths problems itself because that will be right analysis. We cannot soley judge mental sharpness through conversation and hence E option choice is a strengthener. So, this option choice only focusses on judging the mental sharpness through maths problems and doesnt focus on deriving the causation that conversation leads to mental sharpness? Are we assuming that the data set includes socially active people and if the study is done correctly, it strengthens the argument?
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Hi GMATNinja,
What if testing conversation (i.e. tasks more akin to conversation than mathematical problems) also engages many mental and perceptual skill?. As per my understanding it is just presenting information about what type of tasks were conducted in a study. Please correct me if I am wrong.

GMATNinja
sunny91
hi, I understood that why B is correct, but i fail to understand that how option E supports the argument. Kindly help.
We are trying to determine whether participating in social interaction (i.e. talking to other people) engages many mental and perceptual skills and thus helps people maintain mental sharpness as they age, just as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems does. The evidence in support of this theory is that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Quote:
(E) The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.
According to the study, if you had more social contact, then you generally had better mental skills. But how were those mental skills measured? What if the tasks used to evaluate mental sharpness were more akin to CONVERSATION than to math problems? All that would show is that people with more social contact are better at conversation (duh!). That doesn't really support the idea that social contact can REPLACE math problems and crossword puzzles as a way to maintain mental sharpness.

However, what if the tasks used to evaluate mental sharpness were more akin to MATHEMATICS problems than to conversation? That would suggest that social contact COULD replace math problems as a way to stay sharp. In other words, you don't NEED math problems to stay sharp with mathematical tasks. Rather, you could use social contact to stay sharp with mathematical tasks. That could strengthen the argument.

I hope that helps!
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It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activi 16 Jul 2025, 13:32
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Maan1997
Hi GMATNinja,
What if testing conversation (i.e. tasks more akin to conversation than mathematical problems) also engages many mental and perceptual skill?. As per my understanding it is just presenting information about what type of tasks were conducted in a study. Please correct me if I am wrong.

GMATNinja
sunny91
hi, I understood that why B is correct, but i fail to understand that how option E supports the argument. Kindly help.
We are trying to determine whether participating in social interaction (i.e. talking to other people) engages many mental and perceptual skills and thus helps people maintain mental sharpness as they age, just as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems does. The evidence in support of this theory is that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Quote:
The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.
According to the study, if you had more social contact, then you generally had better mental skills. But how were those mental skills measured? What if the tasks used to evaluate mental sharpness were more akin to CONVERSATION than to math problems? All that would show is that people with more social contact are better at conversation (duh!). That doesn't really support the idea that social contact can REPLACE math problems and crossword puzzles as a way to maintain mental sharpness.

However, what if the tasks used to evaluate mental sharpness were more akin to MATHEMATICS problems than to conversation? That would suggest that social contact COULD replace math problems as a way to stay sharp. In other words, you don't NEED math problems to stay sharp with mathematical tasks. Rather, you could use social contact to stay sharp with mathematical tasks. That could strengthen the argument.

I hope that helps!
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The passage implies that people need to engage in certain activities in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. One such activity--social contact/interaction--was the subject of the study. But we have no idea how the people doing the study actually measured mental sharpness. That could have been stuff like memory games, concentration tests, etc.

Choice (E) is about the type of tasks used in the study to evaluate (or measure) mental sharpness, and the nature of those tasks isn't central to the author's argument.
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