Tricky question. Similar to a “mimic the reasoning” type question rather than most strengthen questions.
The author is providing a Cause and Effect Conclusion. He believes that the conflicting information received by the brain about the body’s motion is the cause of motion sickness in astronauts.
The inner ears (1 part of the body) is telling the astronauts they are not moving while, at the same time, the eyes (2nd part of the body) are allowing the astronauts to see their own motion.
The fact pattern that will most support this hypothesis is one where:
-one part of the body is telling the brain that the person is not moving
-second part of the body is telling the brain the person IS moving
-and you have the “effect” of motion sickness
(A)”During rough voyages ship passengers in cabins provided a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than are passengers in cabin provided no view.”
Restating answer (A), the passengers during a rough ship voyage who do NOT have a view of the water are more likely to get motion sickness.
If it is a rough sea voyage on a ship, the body will be moving abruptly with the ebbs and tides of the water. The body will have the sense of moving with the ship.
However, because these passengers can not “see” any passing movement through the window, the “eyes” will not be able to tell the person he or she is actually moving. These passengers are not able to see “their own motion relative to passing objects.”
In the astronauts case: the eyes are sensing “movement” while the ears indicate “no movement.”
In the ship passenger with no window case: the eyes are sensing “NO movement” while the body is in fact moving with the ship on the rough sea voyage.
Although the exact details are a bit different, just like the astronaut, the ship passenger with no window is receiving “conflicting information” about the body’s movement. And just like the astronaut, the ship passenger with no window is more likely to experience “motion sickness”.
Answer (A) suggests that when the cause (“conflicting information about body’s movement”) is present, the effect (“motion sickness”) is more likely to occur.
In this way, the factual scenario provides support to the hypothesis that the brain receiving “conflicting information” about the astronaut’s movement is the cause of the astronaut’s “motion sickness”
Answer (A) best supports the hypothesis.
Posted from my mobile device