Information and IdeasVery hardFinding that weakens a claim about a remedy
Information and Ideas practice question
A company claims that its herbal lozenge shortens colds, citing a study in which people who took the lozenge recovered two days sooner than those who did not.
Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the company's claim?
- A. In the study, participants chose for themselves whether to take the lozenge, and those who chose it were on average younger and healthier.Correct
- B. The lozenge is sold in many countries.
- C. The study was published in a medical journal.
- D. Participants who took the lozenge liked its taste.
Answer: A. In the study, participants chose for themselves whether to take the lozenge, and those who chose it were on average younger and healthier.
If the lozenge takers were healthier to begin with, their faster recovery may owe nothing to the lozenge.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. The lozenge is sold in many countries.
- Sales don't bear on effectiveness.
- C. The study was published in a medical journal.
- Publication supports credibility, if anything.
- D. Participants who took the lozenge liked its taste.
- Taste has nothing to do with recovery.
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