📊 GMAT Exam Prep

A new study indicates that residents of city X who frequently use public transportation report lower stress levels than those who primarily drive private vehicles. Therefore, encouraging more residents of city X to use public transportation will lead to a significant reduction in overall city stress levels.

A The lower stress levels reported by public transportation users are not due to pre-existing personality traits that incline them to both use public transit and experience less stress.
B Public transportation in city X is widely accessible and convenient for most residents.
C Residents who drive private vehicles in city X do not experience stress from other sources at significantly higher rates than public transportation users.
D The stress levels of individuals who use a combination of public transportation and private vehicles are lower than those who only drive private vehicles.

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

The argument assumes that using public transportation *causes* lower stress. Option A eliminates an alternative cause (pre-existing traits) for the correlation, making the causal link assumed by the argument more likely.

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