PrepTest 158, Section 4, Question 14
Psychologist: Most people's blood pressure rises when they(41 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(7 more words not shown)
- AMedications designed to(17 more words not shown)
- BIn general, the(14 more words not shown)
- CIntroverted people who(21 more words not shown)
- DDeaf people experience(17 more words not shown)
- EExtroverted people are(24 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why not both? Stress might raise blood pressure during speech, and producing speech might contribute something too.
The psychologist has a reason to suspect stress: introverted people find speaking more stressful and experience larger blood-pressure surges than extroverted people. That pattern makes stress worth considering. It doesn't immediately eliminate the effort of speaking as another contributor.
What we’re looking for
The question asks us to strengthen the psychologist's explanation, so now we need evidence on that side. I'd look for evidence against the physical explanation: a reason to doubt that the work of producing speech causes the increase. Simply repeating that stress could play a part wouldn't address our concern that both factors might contribute.
Working the answers
- A
The medications don't prevent fluctuations during speaking. That tells us the fluctuations remain, not what causes them. Either psychological stress or physical exertion could still be responsible, so A doesn't help distinguish the competing explanations.
- B
This relates typical blood pressure to the size of an increase under stress. But we aren't told the relevant starting blood pressures of the people being compared. It doesn't establish that the increases during speaking come from stress rather than physical effort.
- C
Sensing a rise is different from explaining it. Introverts could notice their blood pressure changing whether the cause were stress, physical exertion, or both. Their awareness doesn't choose between those possibilities.
- DCorrect
Signing gives us communication without producing spoken words. The deaf people experience a blood-pressure increase when signing, but not when moving their hands for other purposes. The comparison makes communication, rather than movement alone, look important.
This is a useful way to separate the factors. We still have physical movement in both situations, yet the increase appears when that movement communicates. That pattern supports the psychologist's account of stress from communicating. It doesn't prove that every aspect of every increase has the same cause, but it strengthens the proposed explanation.
- E
This introduces a possible complication: the groups differ in their use of blood-pressure medication. If medication affects the size of their surges, that could help explain the difference without attributing it to stress. E doesn't show that the psychological explanation is more convincing than the physical one.
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