A recent study shows that teenagers participating in after school crea...
Argument Analysis
Pre-Thinking
Conclusion Clarification
The author concludes that even though concluding that one can get depressed by merely participating in creative activities is not warranted, there is certainly some relation between depression and participating in such activities.
Pre-Thinking Approach
The question stem asks us to logically complete the given passage. Just before the missing portion, the author states the conclusion of the argument. The conclusion is regarding a definite correlation between depression and participation in creative activities. We are to find a premise that will support this conclusion.
Linkage#1
Strengthener – A piece of evidence that shows that depression and participation in CA are found together in more than one situation.
With this understanding, let us evaluate the option statements.
Answer Choices
A
girls participating in after-school creative activities reported higher rates of depression than boys participating in such activities.
Incorrect - Irrelevant
The details regarding the difference in the severity of symptoms reported in the two genders does not help us draw an overall correlation between CA and depression.
B
teenagers participating in activities such as music and painting were found to be significantly more introverted than teenagers participating in sports activities.
Incorrect - Irrelevant
There is no established or implied link between introversion and depression. Hence, we cannot establish what significance this information holds w.r.t. the argument.
C
there was no difference between the magnitudes of the depressive symptoms observed in teenagers who participated in both creative and sports activities and those who participated just in creative ones.
Correct
This choice is on the lines of the strengthener discussed in the pre-thinking analysis. Now we are already told in the argument that people who participate exclusively in sports showed the least signs of depression. When we take this information, along with the one given in this choice, we find that the introduction of CA is accompanied by an increase in the DS. This helps support the author’s conclusion about a correlation between CA and depression.
D
some very famous musicians and painters are patients of a psychological disorder called schizophrenia.
Incorrect - Irrelevant
From the passage we do not know the relation between the stated disorder and depression. Hence, no further analysis of this choice is required.
E
the use of mood enhancing drugs was more prevalent among the students of schools winning various arts competitions than in the students of schools winning sports competitions.
Incorrect - Irrelevant
This choice talks about all the students of a school performing well in arts and not just the students taking part in such activities. Hence, we cannot determine the impact of this choice on the given argument.