We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar

Question

We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar consumption often exacerbates hyperactivity in children with attention deficit disorder. A scientific study of the effects of three common sugars—sucrose, fructose, and glucose—on children who have attention deficit disorder, with experimental groups each receiving a type of sugar in their diets and a control group receiving a sugar substitute instead of sugar, showed no statistically significant difference between the groups in thinking or behavior.
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

(A) Only one of the three types of sugar used in the study was ever widely suspected of exacerbating hyperactivity.
(B) The consumption of sugar actually has a calming effect on some children.
(C) The consumption of some sugar substitutes exacerbates the symptoms of hyperactivity.
(D) The study included some observations of each group in contexts that generally tend to make children excited and active.
(E) Some children believe that they can tell the difference between the taste of sugar and that of sugar substitutes.

sahiba96 · Answer

conclusion : sugar does not exacerbate HA

(A) Only one of the three types of sugar used in the study was ever widely suspected of exacerbating hyperactivity.
does not weaken as we should have still seen some variation in both the groups 
 
(B) The consumption of sugar actually has a calming effect on some children.
talking exactly opposite of what we read

(C) The consumption of some sugar substitutes exacerbates the symptoms of hyperactivity.
okay so substitues also cause HA and both sugr and substitues caused same activity so we canno say sugar did not cause any HA hence weakens the argument

(D) The study included some observations of each group in contexts that generally tend to make children excited and active.
okay good that study involved observations but it does not weaken the conclusion

(E) Some children believe that they can tell the difference between the taste of sugar and that of sugar substitutes.
Show Answer
it is not about how children percieve but how sugar makes them reaact so out of scope

saicharansingh · Answer

Why is B wrong?

No statistically significant difference  is what the stimulus mention.

If half of the children who were given sugar remain calm and the other half exhibit HA. Wouldn't that just be cancellation of the entire affect of sugar causing HA in children?

I understand that the option B says "some" but still, this makes more sense to me.

Also, sugar and sugar substitutes - the inference seems a bit far-fetched

unraveled · Answer

We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar consumption often exacerbates hyperactivity in children with attention deficit disorder. A scientific study of the effects of three common sugars—sucrose, fructose, and glucose—on children who have attention deficit disorder, with experimental groups each receiving a type of sugar in their diets and a control group receiving a sugar substitute instead of sugar, showed no statistically significant difference between the groups in thinking or behavior.
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above?

(A)  Only one of the three types of sugar  used in the study was ever  widely suspected  of exacerbating hyperactivity. - WRONG. Neither strengthens nor weakens.
(B) The consumption of sugar actually has a  calming effect on some children . - WRONG. 'Some' can be one child or most of the children but eventually the choice does support the conclusion of the passage, although the degree of support is minimum or maximum, which we are not concerned about.
(C) The  consumption of some sugar substitutes exacerbates  the symptoms of hyperactivity. - CORRECT. Alternative reason for HA which resulted in similar HA in experimental group as well.
(D) The study included  some observations of each group in contexts that generally tend to make children excited and active . - WRONG. This looks nice but it falters as in the observations are irrespective of the group - control or experimental. So, these observations leads to nowhere.
(E) Some children  believe that they can tell the difference between the taste  of sugar and that of sugar substitutes - WRONG. Whether one child can tell the difference or most of them tell, it makes not apparent change to the argument in the passage.

Answer C.

Kratosgmat · Answer

If the sugar substitute received is the one that exacerbates the symptoms of hyperactivity. Then you wont be able to differentiate between the control group and the experimental group. hence C is a weakener

qianxia5 · Answer

I like your angle of approach! l think why B doesn't weaken the argument because it overlap exactly what the argument stated: "We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar consumption often exacerbates hyperactivity in children with attention deficit disorder."  
Choice B cannot weaken this argument because it states explaination of how sugar comsumption exacerbates Hyperactivity.

VerbalBot · Answer

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We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar

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We can now dismiss the widely held suspicion that sugar

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