In a recent study of people afflicted by the Babblers

Question

In a recent study of people afflicted by the Babblers syndrome an interesting fact was noted. The people suffering from this syndrome consumed dairy products in much larger quantities than people who were not suffering from this syndrome. Thus the study concluded that to reduce the chances of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome, one should completely avoid the consumption of dairy products or consume them in moderate quantities at best.

The study’s conclusion is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Excessive consumption of dairy products can have a negative impact on the health of people
(B) Babblers syndrome is a dangerous disease
(C) The effects of Babblers syndrome do not include excessive desire to consume dairy products
(D) Cutting down on dairy products will ensure that one does not contract Babblers syndrome
(E) Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products

Source: CR Grail

pqhai · Accepted Answer

Thanks doe007. Very good question and +1 kudo awarded.

KEY is: people suffering from this syndrome consumed dairy products in MUCH LARGER QUANTITIES than people who were not suffering If one consumes dairy products at normal level , he or she won't be suffered from the syndrome. Analyze the question: This is cause & effect: Fact: more X causes Y, conclusion: to avoid Y, must reduce X assumption: Y does not make X increase. Because if Y makes X increase, we can't reduce X. Premise: people suffering from Babbler consumed dairy products in much larger quantities than people who were not suffering Conclusion: to avoid Babblers syndrome, people should completely avoid the consumption of dairy products or consume them in moderate quantities at best. Assumption: Babbler does not cause one consume more dairy products. Consider each answer: (A) Excessive consumption of dairy products can have a negative impact on the health of people ==> WRONG . Out of scope (B) Babblers syndrome is a dangerous disease ==> WRONG . Out of scope (C) The effects of Babblers syndrome do not include excessive desire to consume dairy products ==> CORRECT (D) Cutting down on dairy products will ensure that one does not contract Babblers syndrome ==> SHELL GAME. because the cutting down on dairy products does not help anything if Babbler makes one consume more dairy products ==> Result, one cannot reduce consumption of dairy products. (E) Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products ==> SHELL GAME. Wrong. It's true that consumption of dairy products leads to Babbler syndrome, but only TOO MUCH consumption of dairy products, not moderate consumption. So I'd say E is incomplete assumption , hence, E is wrong Hope it helps.

doe007 · Answer

Explanation:

Here in the argument, the conclusion made is: Nil or moderate (at best) quantities of dairy products consumption will reduce the chances of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome. Other way to say it would be: Consumption of dairy products in much larger quantities increases the chances of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome.

Evidence for this conclusion is the result of a study which presents the correlation between Babblers Syndrome and consumption of dairy products in much larger quantities.

No proper information is given on which one is the cause and which one is the effect. There can be several scenarios related to this situation.
1) Consumption of dairy products in large quantities causes Babblers syndrome
2) Babblers syndrome induces high consumption of dairy products
3) There is no actual correlation between Babblers Syndrome and high consumption of dairy products, and the study result is a mere coincidence. Cause for Babblers Syndrome is something else.

To arrive to the stated conclusion from the given evidence, we have to assume that first scenario is true and second and third scenarios are false.

A) Our concern is to find the effect of high consumption of dairy products on the specific problem "Babblers Syndrome" and not the health problem in general. Out of scope.

B) This statement is not related to the conclusion of the argument. Out of scope.

C) This statement says that scenario 2 above is false and thus it is supportive of the conclusion.  Correct .

D) The argument says that nil/low consumption of dairy products will reduce the chance of having Babblers Syndrome -- this does not mean that nil/low consumption will ensure the complete elimination of the chance of having Babblers Syndrome. Also the argument never says that the only way to get Babblers Syndrome is through consumption of dairy products. Wrong.

E) The argument never says that the only way to get Babblers Syndrome is through consumption of dairy products. The key here is consumption of dairy products in much larger quantities. Wrong.

Correct answer is C.

PS: The question is not difficult to answer considering GMAC's preferences. Point to note here is that some answer choices are good traps.

doe007 · Answer

Good explanation by pqhai.
Regarding option D, I have other reason to discard this option. The argument is talking about " reducing the chance " whereas option D is talking about  guarantee on complete removal  of the disease -- it is too strong to say.

pqhai · Answer

@doe007 I couldn't agree more.

That's exactly what I'm thinking.

umeshpatil · Answer

Option (D) Cutting down on dairy products will ensure that one does not contract Babblers syndrome.
 This means Reducing the dairy product consumption helps to eliminate the cause of Babblers syndrome. The Option is more similar to conclusion or it says conclusion in some different words. So, this can't be the assumption. Assumption should have something more clear idea.

By the way, you found another idea to arrive at the correct answer.

happyinlove505 · Answer

I chose C

simplified question stem:
BS and DC are happening at the same time. 
To reduce BC chances, one must avoid or lower DC

Possible Assumption: BS is not causing DC and it is reflected in C-choice

jaituteja · Answer

Hi pqhai,
I am confused b/w C and E.

I agree with C,

but for E, if i say something else leads to Babbler syndrom,e that would weaken..

SO why is E incorrect??

Please explain.

THanks,
Jai

blueseas · Answer

hi,

In a recent study of people afflicted by the Babblers syndrome an interesting fact was noted. The people suffering from this syndrome consumed dairy products in much larger quantities than people who were not suffering from this syndrome. Thus the study concluded that to reduce the chances  of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome, one should completely avoid the consumption of dairy products or consume them in moderate quantities at best.

conclusion is that reduced consumption will REDUCE THE CHANCES of getting afflicted...it is not saying that it will completely avoid that syndrome.
 
 option E : Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products==>THIS CANT BE ASSUMPTION because still there will be something else which can persist ,but still conclusion will hold true i.e: less chance of AFFLICTION.

hope it helps.

jhasac · Answer

The conclusion state that "Thus the study concluded that to reduce the chances of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome, one should completely avoid the consumption of dairy products or consume them in moderate quantities at best." This mean we need to consider assumption made prior to getting Babblers disease. But we are taking into assumption , as per Answer C , something which relates to post events ( You are already affected with this disease) . Can you please clarify this point

KARISHMA315 · Answer

In a recent study of people afflicted by the Babblers syndrome an interesting fact was noted. The people suffering from this syndrome consumed dairy products in much larger quantities than people who were not suffering from this syndrome. Thus the study concluded that to reduce the chances of getting afflicted with Babblers syndrome, one should completely avoid the consumption of dairy products or consume them in moderate quantities at best.

The study’s conclusion is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Excessive consumption of dairy products can have a negative impact on the health of people
(B) Babblers syndrome is a dangerous disease
(C) The effects of Babblers syndrome do not include excessive desire to consume dairy products
(D) Cutting down on dairy products will ensure that one does not contract Babblers syndrome
(E) Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products

Why is E wrong here.

Read somewhere that in cause and effect we should remove the possibility of any other cause,which this option is doing.
Please help.

Regards,
Karishma

EugeneFish · Answer

(D) Correct.   Cutting down on dairy products will ensure that one does not contract Babblers syndrome 
Argument assumes that consumption of large amounts of dairy MAY cause Babblers syndrome. There may be other causes but this is the most probable one.
Try negating : Cutting down on dairy will NOT ensure that one one does not contract Babblers syndrome. Then cutting down on dairy does not make sense at all.

(E) Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products. 
Author does not say that dairy consumption definitely (100%) causes B syndrome. Yes, he does say that there is a strong correlation between consumption of lots of dairy and having the syndrome. But nowhere does he say that it is the only possible cause.

Skywalker18 · Answer

The conclusion states an implied cause and effect . If one avoids /or moderately consumes dairy products in order to reduce the chance of getting Babblers Syndrome then the implication is that dairy products are the cause.

(C) The effects of Babblers syndrome do not include excessive desire to consume dairy products - What if BS causes an increase in consumption of dairy products.
C states the reverse cause. On negating C the argument falls apart .

(E) Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products - As per the argument , excessive consumption(not moderate consumption) of dairy products leads to BS.

RMD007 · Answer

Option E says that -  Nothing else can lead to Babblers syndrome except the consumption of dairy products 
Based on the argument it is true, but not 100%. Argument says that only excessive consumption of dairy products lead to this syndrome. Moderate consumption of dairy products is allowed.

akshaykotha · Answer

If we keep the 'choose the best option' statement aside for a while, option C clearly is taking effect into consideration whereas the conclusion was about reducing the affliction (occurence of syndrome) due to consuming moderate quantities. Just couldn't digest it.

Bunuel · Answer

Official Explanation

Answer: C

The study has found that those who suffer from Babbler’ syndrome also consume dairy products in large quantities. From this, can we conclude that dairy products are the cause of Babbler’s syndrome? There are two other possibilities—either something else is the cause of Babbler’s syndrome or dairy products are the effect of Babbler’s syndrome.

The argument’s conclusion obviously assumes that neither of these possibilities will be true. C states one of these possibilities and, hence, is the correct answer.

(A) We are only concerned about the connection between dairy products and Babbler’s syndrome. Other health problems are outside the scope of the argument.

(B) Irrelevant to our argument.

(C) The correct answer.

(D) The argument never concludes that the only way to contract Babbler’s syndrome is by the consumption of dairy products. There could be other ways as well. Our point is to show that consumption of dairy products will definitely lead to a person contracting Babbler’s syndrome.

(E) Same as D.

ravigupta2912 · Answer

The stimulus never said "only" way to reduce. Had it said that E would have moved from a contender choice to a possible answer. But given the stimulus, E is a trap. C is the correct answer since it eliminates the possibility of the disease having caused the high consumption, a fact that could possibly weaken the conclusion.

VerbalBot · Answer

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In a recent study of people afflicted by the Babblers

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