Read the given statements and conclusions carefully. Assuming that the information given in the statements is true, even if it appears to be at variance with commonly known facts, decide which of the given conclusions logically follow(s) from the statements. Statements: Some mountains are ants. All elephants are ants. Conclusions: (I): Some elephants are mountains. (II): Some ants are not mountains.

1. A

   Neither conclusion (I) nor (II) follows.

2. B

   Only conclusion (I) follows.

3. C

   Only conclusion (II) follows.

4. D

   Both conclusions (I) and (II) follow.

Appeared in: DSSSB 14 August 2024

Explanation

• The correct option is that neither conclusion follows because the given statements do not provide enough information to establish a definite logical link for either conclusion.
• Conclusion (I) is not certain because while both 'elephants' and 'mountains' share a relationship with 'ants', no direct relationship between 'elephants' and 'mountains' is stated or necessitated.
• Conclusion (II) is not certain because the statement 'Some mountains are ants' does not rule out the possibility that 'All ants are mountains'. If all ants were mountains, this conclusion would be false.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: This conclusion is only a possibility, not a certainty. The overlap between 'mountains' and 'ants' could be completely separate from the 'elephants' which are also within 'ants'.
• Option C: This conclusion is not guaranteed. The premise 'Some mountains are ants' allows for the possibility that the set of 'ants' is entirely contained within the set of 'mountains'.
• Option D: This is incorrect because, as explained above, neither Conclusion (I) nor Conclusion (II) can be logically proven from the given statements.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Syllogistic Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• While not a clinical question, logical reasoning is a crucial skill for nurses.
• Nurses use deductive and inductive reasoning daily to analyze patient symptoms, interpret lab results, and formulate care plans based on evidence.
• Strong logical skills help prevent diagnostic errors and ensure patient safety by allowing nurses to draw sound conclusions from complex clinical information.

How to Approach the Question

• Identify the question as a syllogism, which requires logical deduction.
• Translate the statements into relationships between sets. The best tool for this is a Venn diagram.
• Draw the circles representing each set ('mountains', 'ants', 'elephants') according to the statements. 'All X are Y' means the X circle is inside the Y circle. 'Some X are Y' means the X and Y circles must overlap.
• Examine each conclusion to see if it MUST be true based on your diagram. A conclusion only follows if it holds true for every possible way you can draw the diagram according to the rules.
• For Conclusion (I), check if 'elephants' and 'mountains' must overlap. You'll find they don't have to.
• For Conclusion (II), check if there must be a part of the 'ants' circle that is outside the 'mountains' circle. You'll find it's possible for the entire 'ants' circle to be inside the 'mountains' circle.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Syllogistic Reasoning
• Stem keywords: Statements, Conclusions, Some mountains are ants, All elephants are ants
• Lead-in keywords: logically follow(s)
• Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Q9-K_VGLgQ6s6CpUnWf99Z

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 2 p. 67-69

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 3166-3168