Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their

Question

Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their fears. For example, rock climbers are more likely than others to have once suffered from a fear of heights. Those who participate in such risk-taking activities also have more self-confidence than others, so it is probably true that confronting one's fears increases one's self-confidence.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the reasoning above?

(A) Often those who suffer from fears such as a fear of heights either do not know that they suffer from those fears or do not know the extent to which they suffer from them.

(B) In general, people who currently participate in risky sports had above-average self-confidence even before participating in any risky sport.

(C) Most people who refrain from engaging in risky sports refrain from doing so for reasons other than a fear of death or injury.

(D) Participating in risky sports is not the only way to confront one's fears.

(E) Most of those who do not participate in risky sports believe that they lack the capacity to excel in such activities.

guddo · Answer

Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their fears. For example, rock climbers are more likely than others to have once suffered from a fear of heights. Those who participate in such risk-taking activities also have more self-confidence than others, so it is probably true that confronting one's fears increases one's self-confidence.
 
 Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the reasoning above?

The argument concludes that confronting fears increases self-confidence because people who do risky sports often confront fears and also have more self-confidence.  The weakness is causation : maybe they already had high self-confidence before doing risky sports, rather than gaining it from  confronting their fears .

(A) Often those who suffer from fears such as a fear of heights either do not know that they suffer from those fears or do not know the extent to which they suffer from them.

Wrong. This does not show that confronting fears fails to increase self-confidence.

(B) In general, people who currently participate in risky sports had above-average self-confidence even before participating in any risky sport.

Correct. If risky-sport participants already had above-average self-confidence before doing risky sports, then their higher confidence may not have been caused by confronting their fears. This directly weakens the argument.

(C) Most people who refrain from engaging in risky sports refrain from doing so for reasons other than a fear of death or injury.

Wrong. The argument is about people who do participate in risky sports, not why others avoid them.

(D) Participating in risky sports is not the only way to confront one's fears.

Wrong. The argument does not claim risky sports are the only way to confront fears.

(E) Most of those who do not participate in risky sports believe that they lack the capacity to excel in such activities.

Wrong. This may explain why some people avoid risky sports, but it does not weaken the claim that confronting fears increases self-confidence.

Answer: (B)

rashminuligonda · Answer

Hello, in my understanding, the argument is " people participate in risky sports to confront fears, in turn confronting fears is increasing self confidence "

so in option A: when they dont know they even if they are suffering, how will they confront? and increase self confidence? isnt it essentially weaking?

in option B : what if the confidence is above average already? it will increase further. Ho w does this weaken?

AbhishekP220108 · Answer

Hi  rashminuligonda  well I have also selected A but after getting it wrong I realized where I faltered look at the 1st line where it says those who participate doing to confront the fears, that means they are aware of fear whereas option A says they dont know, which is kind of attacking the premise.

For B I agree yes even though they have above avg it can still be increased. Let say as we know to weaken we need Either B cause A or C causes A and B or C causes B right, so if above avg confidence is already there and because of that they are able to confront, that is also possible right? So it is weakening the most among given

KarishmaB · Answer

Option (A) is a trap. De-construct the argument.

Premises:  
Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their fears. 
Those who participate in such risk-taking activities also have more self-confidence than others

Conclusion:   so it is probably true that confronting one's fears increases one's self-confidence.

The premises give us that confronting fears and self-confidence occurs together in people. Conclusion says that confronting one's fears leads to self-confidence. 
We need to weaken the conclusion i.e. we have to find something that says that confronting one's fears may not lead to self-confidence.

(A) Often those who suffer from fears such as a fear of heights either do not know that they suffer from those fears or do not know the extent to which they suffer from them.

Our premise implies that those who participate in risky sports know that they are afraid and they participate to confront their fears. Hence this option seems to be attacking our premise which we should take to be true. Hence. let's move on. We need to attack the author's conclusion.

(B) In general, people who currently participate in risky sports had above-average self-confidence even before participating in any risky sport.

Ah, that makes sense now. These people had above-average self-confidence even before starting with risky sports. So the fact that self confidence and risky sports appears together does not mean that risky sports is the reason for their self confidence. They already had the self confidence. Perhaps that is why they were willing to try risky sports to overcome their fears. It may be a trait of people who participate in risky sports - they had a fear in the past and they always had above average self confidence. Risky sport may not lead to the self confidence. Hence this option weakens the conclusion.

Answer (B)

yc168 · Answer

OE for reference:

Overview:  
The argument states that people who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their fears. It also states that people who participate in risky sports have more self-confidence. The argument concludes that confronting fears probably increases self-confidence. The question asks what most weakens this reasoning.
Note that the argument concludes that confronting fears produces a change in self-confidence. Therefore, in order to reach the conclusion, it must be true that the self-confidence of those who participate in risky sports changed after they began participating in them.

The Correct Answer:

B  As discussed in the "Overview," in order for the conclusion to be true, it must be true that the self-confidence of people who participate in risky sports has changed. But the only evidence offered for this change is that they have above-average self-confidence after participating in risky sports. So (B), which says that most of them already had above-average self-confidence even before participating in the sports, seriously undermines the impact of this evidence.

The Incorrect Answer Choices:

A  Even if those who participate in risky sports to confront their fears don't know that they suffer from those fears or know the extent of them, they might still have more self-confidence than people who don't confront their fears. So the claim in (A), even if true, is not relevant to the argument.

C  The argument's reasoning is based on an inference about how participating in risky sports changes the people who do participate. So information about why people do not participate is not relevant to the argument.

D  One of the argument's premises is that many people participate in risky sports in order to confront their fears. But the argument does not depend on the claim that participating in risky sports is the only way to confront fears; the argument only needs to establish that participating in risky sports is one way to confront fears.

E  The argument's reasoning is based on an inference about how participating in risky sports changes the people who do participate. So information about the beliefs of people who do not participate is not relevant to the argument.

Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their

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Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their

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