Psychologist: It is well known that becoming angry often induces temporary incidents of high blood pressure. A recen...

Naz on August 3, 2015

Conclusion: the recent findings indicate that heart disease can result from psychological factors.

Why? We are told that it is well known that becoming angry often induces temporary incidents of high blood pressure. The results of a recent study showed us that people who are easily angered are significantly more likely to have permanently high blood pressure than are people who have more tranquil personalities. We are also given the long established fact that those with permanently high blood pressure are especially likely to have heart disease.

Answer choice (D) states: "Those who discover that they have heart disease tend to become more easily frustrated by small difficulties."

This does not have an effect on the argument. We want to weaken the conclusion that psychological factors, i.e. being more quick to anger, can cause heart disease. To weaken this cause and effect argument, we must show that it is actually the high blood pressure that causes one to be quick to anger, as opposed to vice versa.

Answer choice (D) is not the same as the above. Just because one is more easily frustrated does not mean that they are quicker to anger. We do not know anything about people who are more easily frustrated. We want to connect having high blood pressure with people who are quick to anger because that is what we are discussing in the passage.

Please refer to the explanation in the previous thread to see why answer choice (E) is correct.

Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any other questions.