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Although parapsychology is often considered a pseudoscience, it is in fact a genuine scientific enterprise, for it uses scientific methods such as controlled experiments and statistical tests of clearly stated hypotheses to examine the questions it raises.
The conclusion above is properly drawn if which of the following is assumed?
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| Although parapsychology is often considered a pseudoscience, it is in fact a genuine scientific enterprise |
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| for it uses scientific methods such as controlled experiments and statistical tests of clearly stated hypotheses to examine the questions it raises |
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The argument moves from stating a controversial position (parapsychology is real science, not pseudoscience) to providing supporting evidence (it uses legitimate scientific methods). The structure is: controversial claim + evidence to back it up.
Parapsychology is a genuine scientific enterprise, not a pseudoscience.
The author links the evidence (using scientific methods) to the conclusion (being genuine science) through the unstated assumption that anything using proper scientific methods qualifies as genuine science. The logic flows: if something uses scientific methods → then it's genuine science; parapsychology uses scientific methods → therefore parapsychology is genuine science.
Assumption - We need to find what must be true for the conclusion to hold. The author concludes parapsychology is genuine science based on it using scientific methods.
The argument makes a definitive qualitative claim that parapsychology IS genuine science (not partially or sometimes). The evidence is that it uses specific scientific methods like controlled experiments and statistical tests.
For assumption questions, we identify ways the conclusion could fall apart while keeping the stated facts intact. The author assumes that using scientific methods is enough to make something genuine science. We need to think about what gaps exist between 'uses scientific methods' and 'is genuine science.'