ykaiim wrote:
The Ergonomic Society conducted a study that indicated that many people develop severe back problems during adulthood, and that virtually all such people who received chiropractic treatment showed great improvement. Therefore, in order to minimize the proportion of the population that suffers from back pain, the Ergonomic Society recommended that chiropractic treatment be directed toward those adults who suffer from severe back problems.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Any person who receives chiropractic treatment for back pain may also benefit from other forms of treatment.
(B) Large insurance carriers cover chiropractic care for back problems to a lesser degree than they do other medical treatments.
(C) Individuals who receive chiropractic or other treatment prior to developing severe back problems are not less likely to develop back pain than those who do not.
(D) Chiropractic treatment is more effective in treating severe back problems when utilized over a long period of time, as opposed to sporadically.
(E) Severe back pain and other problems often cause individuals to miss workdays.
Context: Many people develop severe back problems during adulthood, and virtually all such people who received chiropractic treatment showed great improvement
Plan: Chiropractic treatment be directed toward those adults who suffer from severe back problems
Aim: minimize the proportion of the population that suffers from back painOur aim is to minimize the proportion of the population that suffers from back pain. We plan to direct chiropractic treatment toward people with severe back problems. But what if directing chiropractic treatment toward other adults will prevent back problems in the first place. Our plan is to focus on treatment of severe back pain. What if prevention will lead to minimising the population that suffers from back pain?
When we conclude that we should direct chiropractic treatment to people with back problems to minimise the proportion of people with back problems, we are assuming that chiropractic treatment will not have much use as a preventive strategy.
(C) Individuals who receive chiropractic or other treatment prior to developing severe back problems are not less likely to develop back pain than those who do not.
Negated (C): Individuals who receive chiropractic or other treatment prior to developing severe back problems are less likely to develop back pain than those who do not.
If people given chiropractic treatment before developing severe back problems are less likely to develop back pain in the first place, it is possible that 'to minimize the proportion of the population that suffers from back pain,' the best idea may not be to direct these treatments to treat back pain but instead to treat everyone.
Hence, (C) is an assumption.