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18 Aug 2026, 06:46
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Difficulty:
95%
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Question Stats:
41% (02:11) correct
59%
(02:41)
wrong
based on 111
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People who have experienced a traumatic event but who did not subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to produce higher levels of the hormone cortisol when exposed to stress than do people who have not experienced traumatic events. This suggests that experiencing a traumatic event can affect how much cortisol one produces in response to stress.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?
(A) Medical conditions sometimes affect how much cortisol people who have not experienced a traumatic event produce in response to stress.
(B) Producing more cortisol than average in response to stress helps prevent a person from developing PTSD as a result of experiencing a traumatic event.
(C) People experiencing a traumatic event produce more cortisol than they would under less severe instances of stress.
(D) Many effective treatments for PTSD are designed to reduce how much cortisol those with PTSD produce when exposed to stress.
(E) Experiencing a traumatic event can damage the gland that produces cortisol, resulting in that gland producing more cortisol.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?
(A) Medical conditions sometimes affect how much cortisol people who have not experienced a traumatic event produce in response to stress.
(B) Producing more cortisol than average in response to stress helps prevent a person from developing PTSD as a result of experiencing a traumatic event.
(C) People experiencing a traumatic event produce more cortisol than they would under less severe instances of stress.
(D) Many effective treatments for PTSD are designed to reduce how much cortisol those with PTSD produce when exposed to stress.
(E) Experiencing a traumatic event can damage the gland that produces cortisol, resulting in that gland producing more cortisol.
18 Aug 2026, 09:56
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Simple explanation:
The argument says: Trauma causes people to produce more cortisol during stress.
B says: People who naturally produce more cortisol are less likely to develop PTSD.
So, the people in the study who experienced trauma but did NOT get PTSD may have already had higher cortisol levels before the trauma.
Therefore, their high cortisol may be the reason they avoided PTSD, rather than being caused by the traumatic event.
So B weakens the argument the most.
Answer: B
The argument says: Trauma causes people to produce more cortisol during stress.
B says: People who naturally produce more cortisol are less likely to develop PTSD.
So, the people in the study who experienced trauma but did NOT get PTSD may have already had higher cortisol levels before the trauma.
Therefore, their high cortisol may be the reason they avoided PTSD, rather than being caused by the traumatic event.
So B weakens the argument the most.
Answer: B
18 Aug 2026, 16:30
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People who have experienced a traumatic event but who did not subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to produce higher levels of the hormone cortisol when exposed to stress than do people who have not experienced traumatic events. This suggests that experiencing a traumatic event can affect how much cortisol one produces in response to stress.
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?
The argument observes that trauma survivors without PTSD produce more cortisol and concludes that the traumatic event caused this difference. The key weakness is that higher cortisol production may have existed before the trauma and may explain why these people did not develop PTSD.
(A) Medical conditions sometimes affect how much cortisol people who have not experienced a traumatic event produce in response to stress.
Incorrect. This does not explain why the trauma-exposed group tends to produce more cortisol.
(B) Producing more cortisol than average in response to stress helps prevent a person from developing PTSD as a result of experiencing a traumatic event.
Correct. If naturally higher cortisol helps prevent PTSD, then the study may simply have selected trauma survivors who already produced more cortisol. Their higher cortisol levels would not necessarily have been caused by the traumatic event.
(C) People experiencing a traumatic event produce more cortisol than they would under less severe instances of stress.
Incorrect. This concerns cortisol production during the traumatic event itself and is consistent with trauma affecting cortisol levels.
(D) Many effective treatments for PTSD are designed to reduce how much cortisol those with PTSD produce when exposed to stress.
Incorrect. This concerns people who developed PTSD, whereas the argument concerns trauma survivors who did not develop PTSD.
(E) Experiencing a traumatic event can damage the gland that produces cortisol, resulting in that gland producing more cortisol.
Incorrect. This directly supports the conclusion by providing a mechanism through which trauma could increase cortisol production.
Answer: (B)
Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?
The argument observes that trauma survivors without PTSD produce more cortisol and concludes that the traumatic event caused this difference. The key weakness is that higher cortisol production may have existed before the trauma and may explain why these people did not develop PTSD.
(A) Medical conditions sometimes affect how much cortisol people who have not experienced a traumatic event produce in response to stress.
Incorrect. This does not explain why the trauma-exposed group tends to produce more cortisol.
(B) Producing more cortisol than average in response to stress helps prevent a person from developing PTSD as a result of experiencing a traumatic event.
Correct. If naturally higher cortisol helps prevent PTSD, then the study may simply have selected trauma survivors who already produced more cortisol. Their higher cortisol levels would not necessarily have been caused by the traumatic event.
(C) People experiencing a traumatic event produce more cortisol than they would under less severe instances of stress.
Incorrect. This concerns cortisol production during the traumatic event itself and is consistent with trauma affecting cortisol levels.
(D) Many effective treatments for PTSD are designed to reduce how much cortisol those with PTSD produce when exposed to stress.
Incorrect. This concerns people who developed PTSD, whereas the argument concerns trauma survivors who did not develop PTSD.
(E) Experiencing a traumatic event can damage the gland that produces cortisol, resulting in that gland producing more cortisol.
Incorrect. This directly supports the conclusion by providing a mechanism through which trauma could increase cortisol production.
Answer: (B)
