Researcher: Consumption of turmeric, a basic ingredient in curry

Question

Researcher:  Consumption of turmeric, a basic ingredient in curry dishes, probably slows cognitive decline. Our research team analyzed a database of information about the cognitive function, ethnicity, and diet of elderly residents of Singapore. Those who eat curries regularly had higher scores on cognitive-function tests than those who rarely or never eat curries; this relationship was strongest for the elderly Singapore residents oflndian ethnicity.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the researcher's explanation of the research team's findings?

(A) Even before analyzing the database, the researchers had hypothesized that turmeric consumption slows cognitive decline.
(B) Highly educated residents of Singapore are more likely than other residents to eat curries regularly.
(C) Most Singapore residents who are oflndian ethnicity eat curries regularly.
(D) Singapore residents, on a per capita basis, eat curries more often than do residents of most other countries.
(E) Indian curries generally contain much more turmeric than other curries contain.

MartyMurray · Answer

Researcher: Consumption of turmeric, a basic ingredient in curry dishes, probably slows cognitive decline. Our research team analyzed a database of information about the cognitive function, ethnicity, and diet of elderly residents of Singapore. Those who eat curries regularly had higher scores on cognitive-function tests than those who rarely or never eat curries; this relationship was strongest for the elderly Singapore residents of lndian ethnicity.

The researcher's conclusion is the following:

Consumption of turmeric, a basic ingredient in curry dishes, probably slows cognitive decline.

The support for the conclusion is the following:

Those who eat curries regularly had higher scores on cognitive-function tests than those who rarely or never eat curries

There's also a seemingly somewhat random detail that may prove important when we're analyzing the answer choices:

this relationship was strongest for the elderly Singapore residents of lndian ethnicity

So, the reasoning of the argument is that, since there is a correlation between eating curries regularly and higher scores on cognitive-function tests, and since turmeric is a basic ingredient in curry dishes, consumption of turmeric probably slows cognitive decline.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the researcher's explanation of the research team's findings?

This question is a Strengthen question, and the correct answer will somehow strengthen the support for the conclusion.

(A) Even before analyzing the database, the researchers had hypothesized that turmeric consumption slows cognitive decline.

This choice has no effect on the argument.

After all, regardless of what the researchers had hypothesized, turmeric consumption either does or doesn't slow cognitive decline.

The researchers' hypothesis could be in line with reality or completely invalid, and the fact that they hypothesized that doesn't prove anything. A hypothesis is basically just an idea.

Yes, there may have been a reason why they came up with that hypothesis. Maybe they had noticed some patterns involving curry and cogitive function. Still, the simple fact that they had hypothesized that doesn't add support for the conclusion.

Ellminate.

(B) Highly educated residents of Singapore are more likely than other residents to eat curries regularly.

This choice weakens rather than strengthens the argument.

After all, if this choice is true, then we have possible alternative cause for the higher scores on the cogntive-function tests. It could be that the people who eat curries regularly score higher as a result of something having to do with being highly educated. After all, while it's not clear how being highly educated would help people maintain cognitive function, it certainly seems possibly that it does.

So, by indicating that there may be a cause of the high scores other that eating curry, this choice weakens the connection between the two.

Eliminate.

(C) Most Singapore residents who are of lndian ethnicity eat curries regularly.

This choice is tricky. After all the passage says, "this relationship was strongest for the elderly Singapore residents of lndian ethnicity."

So, we might get the impression that the fact that most Singapore residents who are of lndian ethnicity eat curries regularly is somehow important.

At the same time, the truth is that this choice has no effect on the argument. After all, the fact that people of Indian ethniticy eat curries doesn't connect curries with cognitive function.

If the passage said something about people of Indian ethnicity in general having strong cognitive function, this choice might strengthen the argument. However, given what the passage says, this choice doesn't strengthen the argument.

Eliminate.

(D) Singapore residents, on a per capita basis, eat curries more often than do residents of most other countries.

This choice is an irrelevant comparison choice.

After all, the fact that Singapore residents eat curries more often than do residents of most other countries doesn't indicate anything about curry helping people maintain cogntive function.

Eliminate.

(E) Indian curries generally contain much more turmeric than other curries contain.

This choice is interesting.

After all, the passage says, "this relationship (the correlation between eating curry and high scores on cognitive-function tests) was strongest for the elderly Singapore residents of lndian ethnicity."

Now, since it's likely that that Indian curries are most commonly eaten by people of Indian ethnicity, this choice indicates that people of Indian ethnicity eat the most turmeric.

So, we can put together the following: The people whose curries, people of Indian ethnicicty, contain the most turmeric are also the ones who have the highest scores.

That information helps to confirm that it is indeed the turmeric in curry that helps with maintaining cognitive function.

Keep.

Correct answer:  E

Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

Not agreeing with your explanation .

Why are you assuming that "Now, since it's likely that that Indian curries are most commonly eaten by people of Indian ethnicity"? What if Indian food in Singapore doesn't taste that good as it does in India? <- well you can assume this as well and strike off option E.

Why you're not selecting C , on the basis that more people eating curry gives more data and hence better and stronger relationship holds?

Mingyuan · Answer

The premise is those who eat curry regularly have better cognitive function.
The conclusion is TURMERIC is beneficial for cognitive function.
So we should assume that there is turmeric in curry.
E can supply this information

Posted from my mobile device

Dooperman · Answer

Its clearly C vs E.

Now, the study compares results on the basis of diet and ethnicity and data shows that Singaporeans of Indian origin generally score Higher.

C says that "Most Singapore residents who are of lndian ethnicity eat curries regularly". BUT BUT BUT ...  what if Singapore residents who are of other ethnicities also eat curries regularly . We don't know from this option. (Hence the information is not sufficient to conclude anything).

E says "Indian curries generally contain much more turmeric than other curries contain". This information helps us make a much better comparison between diets of people of Indian ethnicity and that of Others. Hence E is Correct.

srik410 · Answer

Tough question for Indian folk. Notice that the evidence never really said anything about turmeric, but keeps on and on about curries. However, the conclusion jumps to turmeric. This required making an assumption that turmeric in curries is the cause and not just curries alone(I bet lot of Indian people cannot think curries without turmeric hence a tough assumption to arrive at :p)

One trap also is in describing turmeric to be a basic ingredient in curries in the conclusion. Notice that this does not give any evidence about turmeric preventing the decline. So this info is just an aside.

Conclusion: Consumption of turmeric probably slows cognitive decline. 
Evidence: 1) Curries probably slows cognitive decline(from the study) 2)Strongest for elderly Singapore residents of Indian ethnicity 3)Turmeric is basic ingredient in curries
Gap: Its the turmeric in the curries that probably slows cognitive decline.

Only option E teases out this gap/assumption and hence strengthens.

ZIX · Answer

Any strategy I develop for CR gets knocked down sooner or later. Sigh

Statement E assumes that people of Indian Ethnicity in Singapore still eat a lot of curry regularly. This is a big assumption. It would have been a fairly reasonable assumption if the people were in India. However, when you have been living in a foreign country for years, it is much more reasonable to expect that you might have adapted to their culture, and maybe your dietary habits changed.

And the thing I really dislike about explanations on this forum is that they seem to suffer heavily from "hindsight bias". They just see the answer, and then form a logical case AROUND IT -- not the other way around.

Researcher: Consumption of turmeric, a basic ingredient in curry

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