Question

Use the excerpt from the “How Nellie Bly went undercover to expose abuse of the mentally ill” article to answer the question.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich of the following would be an invalid inference to make about this excerpt?%0D%0A%0D%0A(1 point)%0D%0AResponses%0D%0A%0D%0APeople considered the mentally insane to be unable to determine their own status.%0D%0APeople considered the mentally insane to be unable to determine their own status.%0D%0A%0D%0APeople found it important to give the mentally insane a safe place to live.%0D%0APeople found it important to give the mentally insane a safe place to live.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe mentally insane were considered a danger to society.%0D%0AThe mentally insane were considered a danger to society.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnly someone who was medically qualified could declare someone mentally insane.%0D%0AOnly someone who was medically qualified could declare someone mentally insane.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To identify the invalid inference about the excerpt, we need to analyze the provided options:

1. **People considered the mentally insane to be unable to determine their own status.** - This inference aligns with the historical context of how society viewed mental illness, indicating a prevalent belief that mentally ill individuals lacked the capacity to assess their own condition.

2. **People found it important to give the mentally insane a safe place to live.** - While this statement could be interpreted positively, historically, the focus was often more on containment than on providing a safe environment, making this a potentially more dubious inference.

3. **The mentally insane were considered a danger to society.** - This inference reflects a common stereotype associated with mental illness, so it could be considered valid based on societal views during that time.

4. **Only someone who was medically qualified could declare someone mentally insane.** - This inference is also valid as historically, the determination of mental illness required medical expertise.

Among these options, the statement **"People found it important to give the mentally insane a safe place to live."** is likely the invalid inference, as it may misrepresent the historical attitude towards the mentally ill, emphasizing care whose importance may not have been widely acknowledged at the time.