Epidemiologist: Our study found that residents of County X who regularly consumed dietary supplements were 30% less likely to develop sleep disorders than those who did not. However, the supplement consumers also reported exercising significantly more on average. Since regular exercise is known to improve sleep quality, we conclude that the supplements themselves likely provide no real protection against sleep disorders.
Evaluate the following statement:
The epidemiologist's argument necessarily assumes that the dietary supplements consumed in County X do not contain ingredients that completely counteract the sleep-enhancing benefits of regular exercise.
Cevap: Cevap
Cevap
True
The statement accurately identifies a necessary assumption. The argument attempts to dismiss the efficacy of supplements by pointing to exercise as the true cause of the improved sleep. For this logic to hold, the exercise must actually provide its normal benefits to the supplement users. If the supplements negated the exercise benefits (the logical opposite of the statement), the author's alternative explanation would fail, leaving the supplements themselves as the only remaining explanation for the 30% reduction. Therefore, the argument strictly requires that the counteraction does not occur.
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Identifying Defender Assumptions using the Negation Technique