Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSufficient Assumption

Sports psychologist: Any athlete who consistently practices mental imagery techniques experiences a significant reduction in pre-game anxiety. Furthermore, all athletes who experience a significant reduction in pre-game anxiety are able to maintain their concentration during the decisive moments of a competition. Thus, we can conclude that any athlete who consistently practices mental imagery techniques will achieve peak physical performance during tournaments.

Which one of the following is an assumption that, if true, allows the sports psychologist's conclusion to be properly drawn?

  1. Any athlete who maintains concentration during the decisive moments of a competition will achieve peak physical performance during tournaments.Answer
  2. B
    Any athlete who achieves peak physical performance during tournaments is able to maintain their concentration during the decisive moments of a competition.
  3. C
    Athletes who fail to maintain their concentration during the decisive moments of a competition will not achieve peak physical performance during tournaments.
  4. D
    Mental imagery techniques are the most reliable method for an athlete to achieve peak physical performance during tournaments.
  5. E
    Most athletes who experience a significant reduction in pre-game anxiety ultimately achieve peak physical performance during tournaments.

Answer

The correct answer states that any athlete who maintains concentration during decisive moments will achieve peak physical performance.
The argument's premises establish a chain: practicing mental imagery leads to reduced anxiety, which in turn leads to maintaining concentration (Imagery -> Concentration). The conclusion attempts to prove that practicing mental imagery leads to peak physical performance (Imagery -> Peak Performance). To make this conclusion 100% valid, we must guarantee that maintaining concentration leads to peak physical performance. The correct answer provides exactly this bridge: Concentration -> Peak Performance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Deconstruct the argument's premises into conditional statements.
Premise 1: Mental Imagery -> Reduced Anxiety. Premise 2: Reduced Anxiety -> Maintain Concentration.
Identifying the formal logic chain allows us to see exactly what facts the author has established.
2
Identify the argument's final conclusion.
Conclusion: Mental Imagery -> Peak Physical Performance.
We must know the exact endpoint the argument is trying to logically prove.
3
Determine the logical gap between the premises and the conclusion.
The premises link 'Mental Imagery' to 'Maintain Concentration'. The conclusion links 'Mental Imagery' to a new term: 'Peak Physical Performance'. The gap is between 'Maintain Concentration' and 'Peak Physical Performance'.
To guarantee the conclusion, we must find an assumption that connects the end of the premise chain to the new term in the conclusion.
4
Formulate the sufficient assumption.
Maintain Concentration -> Peak Physical Performance.
Adding this statement to the premises creates a complete, unbroken chain from Mental Imagery to Peak Physical Performance.

Key Concept

Sufficient Assumption conditional bridging
Rate this question

Topics

Sufficient Assumption

More questions from this topic