Blocking for Strengthen questions

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  cmb_1992 Alum Member

  October 2014 48 karma

  This may not be ALL that you are looking for, but I'll take a shot.
  
  For weaken questions, JY has taught us to look for assumptions (what he calls "weaknesses" in the lessons) that the argument may be making. By finding assumptions, we can weaken the argument.
  
  For strengthen, however, we are trying to make the argument a good one. We therefore want to prevent any weaknesses, or, following JY's discussion of assumptions as weaknesses, we want to prevent any assumptions the argument may be making. The strategy for strengthen questions is to thus "BLOCK" any potential assumption from being an assumption.
  
  For example: Take this question from the lessons: http://7sage.com/lesson/cost-effective-intervention-strengthen-question/
  
  Let's break it down.
  
  Premise: A comprehensive research program is needed to verify that therapeutic intervention mitigates factors that may contribute to mental disorders.
  Conclusion: In order to cost-effectively help people with mental disorders, we should increase funding for intervention research.
  
  Do you see how the argument jumps from the first premise of needing a research program to verify previous studies to the conclusion of having a cost-effective approach? Nothing in the premise said anything about being cost effective. The author ASSUMED that it would be cost effective. Therefore, a correct answer choice, if true, might just block that assumption by saying something like "mitigating risk factors IS IN FACT cheaper than dealing with the effects of mental disorder down the line." The correct answer choice, in this case "C," does this.
  
  You see, you find where the weakness (assumption) might be and you find the answer choice that, if true, will remove (block) that assumption. The author ASSUMED it would be cheaper to treat risk factors. C states that targeting risk factors IS cheaper than dealing with the effects long-term. Make sense?