Recent evidence appears to contradict earlier findings that suggested

Question

Recent evidence appears to contradict earlier findings that suggested that those who are physically fit cope better with stressful real-life events. Of a group of healthy women, those randomly assigned to a ten-week program of aerobic exercises performed no better in laboratory tests simulating stressful situations than did the subgroup assigned to a program without exercise.

Which of the following, if true, provides evidence for determining whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress?

(A) Superior reaction to laboratory stress situations was found to be more prevalent among women than among men.

(B) Healthy men, after training six months in weight lifting, encountered fewer potentially stressful situations in the subsequent six months.

(C) Subjects following a regimen during which they perfected their skills in a variety of relaxation techniques found that their lives seemed calmer after they began the regimen.

(D) College students with previous high levels of stressful life events showed a markedly reduced reaction to such events after training in aerobics for six months.

(E) Subjects with a high level of self-esteem more often engaged in physical-fitness regimens than did a control group of subjects with average levels of self-esteem.

CrackverbalGMAT · Accepted Answer

Pre-thinking:

The question stem asks us to select an answer choice that "provides evidence for determining whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress". Therefore, the correct answer option would likely have the following characteristics:

1) A scenario with stress and one without stress.
2) A group of subjects with and without physical fitness.
3) The reactions of the subjects to each scenario must unambiguously point to an answer to the question.

With this in mind, let us approach the answer choices.

(A) Superior reaction to laboratory stress situations was found to be more prevalent among women than among men.  This does not factor in physical fitness in any way ie; (2) above is not satisfied. We are not concerned with the differences between men and women in reacting to stress.

(B) Healthy men, after training six months in weight lifting, encountered fewer potentially stressful situations in the subsequent six months.  This option states that the subjects  encountered  fewer stressful scenarios. We can gauge the impact of "fitness" on "reaction to stress" only if we have both - this option does not tell us anything about the subjects' reaction to stress. (3) above is not satisfied.

(C) Subjects following a regimen during which they perfected their skills in a variety of relaxation techniques found that their lives seemed calmer after they began the regimen.  This option provides a change in the "reaction to stress" (potentially, if we interpret the phrase "seemed calmer" as "better reacting to stress"). However, the regimen driving the change is on "relaxation techniques" and not "physical fitness". (2) above is not satisfied.

(D) College students with previous high levels of stressful life events showed a markedly reduced reaction to such events after training in aerobics for six months.  All 3 points above are satisfied - correct answer.

(1) Situations with and without stress - "previous high levels of stressful life events ... such events after training".
(2) Subjects with and without physical fitness - "after training in aerobics"; the same group of subjects reacting differently makes the case stronger.
(3) Differing reactions - "showed a markedly reduced reaction"

(E) Subjects with a high level of self-esteem more often engaged in physical-fitness regimens than did a control group of subjects with average levels of self-esteem.  This does not contain any information on the subjects' reaction to stressful events and hence does not provide any evidence to answer the question. (3) above is not satisfied.

Hope this helps.

Praveenapk · Answer

If this specific to Aerobic ?. I chose between B or C .. which is general and ignored D due to the mention of college students.

aditisodhani · Answer

The passage mentions that the difference was marginal- so women exposed to physical exercises didn't benefit much. According to A, even that is superior as opposed to men! So overall doesn't it imply that stress level management is not really proportional to physical fitness? and hence serves as an additional evidence to to evaluate the relationship?

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Hi Aditi

Option (A) does not tell us anything about the impact of physical exercise (either in women or men). We are only concerned with whether physical exercise helps a person to react better to stressful conditions.

Option (A) tells us that women are better at this than men. But we do not know the impact of physical exercise on men at all. It could well be that physical exercise helps men react better to stress, at the same time being worse at it that women at all times. Option (A) simply does not address the crucial issue of physical exercise.

"So overall doesn't it imply that stress level management is not really proportional to physical fitness" - we cannot be certain about this. What if men are generally physically less fit than women and hence react worse to stress? Option (A) leaves a lot of questions open to interpretation. Option (D) is a much better option.

Hope this helps.

bronaugust · Answer

Let us deploy    IMS's four-step technique    to solve this question.

STEP #1   ->   IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE

To identify the question type, we need to read the question stem. The stem states, 'Which of the following, if true, provides evidence for determining whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress?' We are clearly dealing with an 'evaluate' question. We need an answer option that provides a piece of evidence that helps us check whether physical fitness actually makes one react better to stress.

Now that we know we are dealing with an 'evaluate' question, let us proceed to the second step.

STEP #2  ->   DECONSTRUCT THE ARGUMENT

In an 'evaluate' question, it is a must to deconstruct the argument by figuring out the premise and the conclusion. Let us therefore read the argument and deconstruct it.

CONCLUSION:   Of a group of healthy women, those randomly assigned to a ten-week program of aerobic exercises performed no better in laboratory tests simulating stressful situations than did the subgroup assigned to a program without exercise.

PREMISE:   Recent evidence appears to contradict earlier findings that suggested that those who are physically fit cope better with stressful real-life events.

Now that the argument is deconstructed, let us proceed to the third step.

STEP #3  ->   FRAME A SHADOW ANSWER

Since we are looking for evidence that can help us determine whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress, the right answer must be a piece of evidence that helps us do exactly what we wish to do: determine whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress.

SHADOW ANSWER:   A piece of evidence that helps determine whether or not physical fitness makes one react better to stress.

Now that a shadow answer is framed, let us proceed to the final step.

STEP #4  ->   PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

We can eliminate all answer options that do not match the shadow answer we have come up with.

(A) Superior reaction to laboratory stress situations was found to be more prevalent among women than among men. -   NOT A MATCH   -  The comparison between men and women is irrelevant.  -   ELIMINATE

(B) Healthy men, after training six months in weight lifting, encountered fewer potentially stressful situations in the subsequent six months. -   NOT A MATCH   -  Not worried about whether healthy men encountered fewer potentially stressful situations after training, for ENCOUNTERING FEWER STRESSFUL SITUATIONS does not help us check if physical fitness actually makes one react better to stress.  -   ELIMINATE

(C) Subjects following a regimen during which they perfected their skills in a variety of relaxation techniques found that their lives seemed calmer after they began the regimen. -   NOT A MATCH   -  The evidence must help us determine whether physical fitness makes one react better to stress, not relaxation techniques.  -   ELIMINATE

(D) College students with previous high levels of stressful life events showed a markedly reduced reaction to such events after training in aerobics for six months. -   MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER   -  If what is stated in this option is true, it means that physical fitness does make one react better to stress; however, if it turns out to be false, we have a reason to believe physical fitness does not make one react better to stress.  -   KEEP

(E) Subjects with a high level of self-esteem more often engaged in physical-fitness regimens than did a control group of subjects with average levels of self-esteem. -   NOT A MATCH   - Not worried about the stated comparison, for it does not help me check whether or not physical fitness makes one react better to stress. -   ELIMINATE

Hence, D is the correct answer.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Recent evidence appears to contradict earlier findings that suggested

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