Also, can you explain to me what the question stem means by stating:
"The charge made above against alternative medicine"
Is the charge made against alternative medicine is that "it is free so it has no side effects at all." Was the author speaking negatively about alternative medicine here?
shunheMay 20, 2020
Hi @Shirnel,
Thanks for the question! So let’s take a look at the stimulus here. We’re told that orthodox medicine is ineffective at both ends of the spectrum of ailments, at the trivial end and at the serious end. Then we’re told that people turn to alternative medicine in these cases where orthodox medicine doesn’t help and when it produces side effects. Then, we’re told that alternative medicine doesn’t have side effects because it doesn’t have ANY effects. This is the “charge” being made against alternative medicine—that it doesn’t do anything! This is definitely speaking negatively about alternative medicine.
Now let’s take a look at (D), which tells us that a patient’s belief in the medical treatment is receiving can release the body’s own painkillers, diminish allergic reactions, and promote healing. In other words, if you think it works, you might still get effects as if it were working because of your belief. If that’s true, and a patient believes that alternative medicine works, then the patient might still improve because of that belief, and in that sense, the alternative medicine would have an effect—a psychological effect that helps the patient get better. This weakens the argument that alternative medicine has no effects at all.
Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.
ShirnelMay 23, 2020
Definitely helps. Thank you.
shunheMay 29, 2020
Glad I could help!
Anthony-ResendesSeptember 11, 2020
Ok, so answer choice D was not appealing at all, but when they asked about the claim against alternative medicine and alternative medicine not having any side affects, it was only then I kind of saw D as being the best answer. For one, answer choice B although enticing did not really convince me. However, when the question stem did say "claim against alternative medicine" I thought this was meant to be taken as negative. Meaning something negative said in the stimulus against alternative medicine. So in other words just because a claim is made against something does not mean it always negative correct? and is my logic good for determining answer?
