Insurers and doctors are well aware that the incidence of lower-back injuries among office workers who spend long hou...

Irina on August 17, 2019

@Minerva,

The argument tells us that the incidence of lower-back injuries is higher among office workers than that among people who regularly do physical work. It then uses this evidence to conclude that office equipment and furniture are not properly designed to promote workers' health. Which of the following most undermines the reasoning above?

A correct answer to this weaken question will likely provide an alternative explanation to these facts. (E) tells us that consistent physical exercise is the most effective way to prevent and recover from lower-back injuries, meaning people who regularly do physical work, i.e. exercise consistently, are less likely to suffer from low-back injuries, whereas office workers who spend most of the time sitting fail to strengthen their lower back via exercise and thus more likely to have higher incidence of back injuries. This alternative - and more plausible - explanation undermines the argument's conclusion that the discrepancy between two groups is due to the furniture design.

Does this make sense?

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Minerva on August 17, 2019

Makes perfect sense now, thanks @Irina!

Ravi on August 17, 2019

@Minverva, let us know if you have any other questions!

Ravi on August 17, 2019

@Minerva* (there was a typo in my first message)

jflem on October 26, 2019

I get the above reasoning, but with this same reasoning do not understand why C is incorrect. If people who regularly do physical work are more educated on how to do so without putting a lot of stress on their back, wouldn't this say that it might not be the furniture that causes office workers to have more injuries rather that they are not as educated about reducing stress than the other types of workers? Or would this answer choice need to say that physical workers are more educated THAN office workers on how to reduce stress to be correct?

shunhe on December 21, 2019

Hi @jflem, answer choices (C) and (E) are definitely the two best answer choices here, and what it comes down to is the fact that we are looking for the answer choice that MOST weakens. (C) uses weaker language ("encourages") and also doesn't directly relate stress mitigation to reduction in incidence of injury. Hope this helps!