Extract:
Aromatherapy, Fact or Fiction?
For years, aromatherapy has been touted as a safe and natural way to relax and even heal. Essential oils from a variety of scents have been added to candles and sprays to help people feel better. However, a recent study performed at Ohio State University says that these smells, as nice as they may be, do not do a thing to improve people’s health.
To find out if aromatherapy actually works, the researchers tested two of the most popular scents: lemon and lavender. First, test subjects had their heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, and immune function measured and noted. Next, they were subjected to mild stress-ors and then told to sniff one of the scents to see if the scent would help them to relax. Finally, all the subjects were tested again to look for improvement. No significant changes were noted, even in people who had previously stated they were true believers in the power of aromatherapy.
Of course, this does not necessarily prove that aromatherapy is worthless, either. It was just one small study, pitted against the opinions of thousands of consumers who swear by peppermint on their pillow for an upset stomach or vanilla for a headache. More tests will be done, but in the meantime, a whiff of lavender, lemon, or other scents will certainly do no harm, and can be quite pleasant at the same time.
Which of the following is not listed as a detail in the passage?
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A
Subjects were given mild stressors.
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B
Lemon and lavender scents were tested.
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C
Vanilla worked better than lemon for stress.
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D
The study took place at Ohio State University.
The detail not listed is that vanilla worked better than lemon for stress, vanilla is mentioned only anecdotally for headaches, with no testing data or comparative effectiveness stated.
A) Subjects were given mild stressors
Explicitly stated: "they were subjected to mild stress-ors and then told to sniff one of the scents."
B) Lemon and lavender scents were tested
Explicitly stated: researchers "tested two of the most popular scents: lemon and lavender."
C) Vanilla worked better than lemon for stress
Never stated. Vanilla appears only in the context of consumers using it "for a headache", not stress relief, not in the study, and with no comparative effectiveness data against lemon or other scents.
D) The study took place at Ohio State University
Explicitly stated: "a recent study performed at Ohio State University."
Conclusion
Three details appear explicitly: stressor administration, scents tested, and research institution. The vanilla-lemon comparison represents unsupported extrapolation beyond the passage's actual content, vanilla wasn't tested, and no efficacy comparisons appear.