PrepTest 118, Section 3, Question 4
Psychiatrist: Take any visceral emotion you care to(32 more words not shown)
The conclusion of the argument(10 more words not shown)
- AAnger is always(1 more words not shown)
- BAnger is a(2 more words not shown)
- CSome kinds of(5 more words not shown)
- DAll emotions that(6 more words not shown)
- EAn emotion is(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Is anger one of the emotions the rule covers?
The psychiatrist gives us a rule about visceral emotions: for each one, there are situations in which trying to express it is healthy. Then the conclusion applies that rule to anger. That works only if anger belongs in the relevant category, and the argument hasn't told us that it does.
What we’re looking for
We don't need to debate which expressions of anger are healthy. The question asks what would make the conclusion follow. Add the missing fact that anger is a visceral emotion. Once anger is included, the rule guarantees that some suitable situations exist; it doesn't mean expressing anger is healthy in every situation.
Working the answers
- A
Being able to express anger isn't the same as it being healthy to try. Someone could express an emotion in an unhealthy way. A doesn't connect anger with the category for which the psychiatrist gives a health-related rule.
- BCorrect
Anger is now identified as a visceral emotion. The premise says every such emotion has situations in which trying to express it is healthy. That rule now applies to anger, giving us the conclusion.
- C
Some emotions being unhealthy to express doesn't establish that anger has healthy occasions for expression. We don't know which emotions C refers to, and it gives no link between anger and the original rule.
- D
This says healthy-to-express emotions are visceral. It still doesn't tell us that anger is visceral or that anger is healthy to express. Giving a rule about emotions already known to be healthy doesn't establish that anger belongs among them.
- E
This again links being visceral with being healthy to express. But our missing information concerns anger's membership in the category. We can add another rule about visceral emotions and still be unable to apply it to anger until that connection is supplied.
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