| Course | INHE 3002 Survey of Complementary Health Approaches |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 5 |
| Paper type | Claim audit |
| Length | About 660 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Integrative Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for INHE 3002 Week 5
Describes, Asserts, Implies: A Claim Audit Taking Apart One Sentence of Spa Marketing for Reiki and Naming the Evidence Each Part Would Need
Student Name
Walden University
INHE 3002: Survey of Complementary Health Approaches
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Describes, Asserts, Implies: A Claim Audit Taking Apart One Sentence of Spa Marketing for Reiki and Naming the Evidence Each Part Would Need
The Sentence
The sentence comes from the services page of a composite day spa, written for this assignment in the style of real promotional copy: "Our Reiki sessions, offered by certified practitioners in a calming private suite, reduce stress and help your body restore its natural balance, and many clients tell us they sleep better for days afterward." The audit separates the sentence into parts that merely describe, parts that assert a cause and parts that imply one without saying it, and then states what evidence each part would need behind it.
The Audit
Table 1
Each phrase of the sentence, its type and the evidence it would require
| Phrase | Type | What it would need | |
|---|---|---|
| "Our Reiki sessions" | Describes | Nothing beyond accuracy: the spa offers Reiki | |
| "offered by certified practitioners" | Describes, with a hidden question | The name of the certifying body; there is no state license for Reiki, so "certified" means certified by a private teacher or organization | |
| "in a calming private suite" | Describes | Nothing; a statement about the room, open to the client's own judgment | |
| "reduce stress" | Asserts a cause | Randomized trials comparing Reiki with a sham or attention control on a validated stress measure | |
| "help your body restore its natural balance" | Implies a cause, untestably | A defined, measurable meaning of "natural balance"; without one, no study could support or refute it | |
| "many clients tell us they sleep better for days afterward" | Implies a cause through testimony | Trials with a sleep outcome measured over several days; testimonials cannot separate the session from relaxation, expectation or chance | |
The sentence is a composite written for the course, not a quotation from a real business.
Three of the six phrases describe and need little support, though "certified" deserves a question because it sounds like a license when it is not. One phrase asserts a cause directly. Two imply causes: one by using a phrase too vague to test, the other by reporting what clients say, which invites a reader to conclude that the session caused better sleep without the spa having said so.
What the Evidence Currently Supports
For the one direct causal claim, "reduce stress," the closest evidence is a Cochrane review on mood outcomes, which found too few and too weak trials to say whether Reiki is useful for those outcomes (Joyce & Herbison, 2015). That is not evidence against the claim, but it is not the evidence the claim needs. For sleep, no review was located. The "natural balance" phrase cannot be supported or contradicted, which is why it is common in marketing: it carries the feeling of a health benefit without a testable promise.
The Standard That Applies
Federal guidance on health advertising requires that health benefit claims rest on sound, reliable science, generally meaning well-controlled studies of the product or service itself, and that consumer testimonials do not substitute for that evidence (Federal Trade Commission [FTC], 2022). Implied claims are judged by what reasonable readers take away, not only by the literal words. Measured against that standard, the sentence's two implied claims are as much in need of support as its direct one.
A Rewritten Sentence
A version that keeps the appeal and drops the unsupported causes might read: "Our Reiki sessions take place in a calming private suite with practitioners trained through a named Reiki teaching organization listed on our site; many clients describe the sessions as relaxing." Naming the training organization lets a client check it, and "describe as relaxing" reports experience without promising an effect. Whether the spa would choose that sentence is another matter, but it is one the evidence can carry. The federal research center's summary that Reiki has not been clearly shown useful for any health purpose (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2018) is consistent with keeping claims at that level.
References
Federal Trade Commission. (2022). Health products compliance guidance. https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance
Joyce, J., & Herbison, G. P. (2015). Reiki for depression and anxiety. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015(4), Article CD006833. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006833.pub2
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2018). Reiki. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki
What the INHE 3002 Week 5 instructions ask for
Claim audit assignments give students a piece of promotional copy and ask them to analyze its claims. Prompts usually ask students to separate factual description from causal claims, to identify implied claims and to name the kind of study each one would require. Some ask students to rewrite the copy. Instructors look for careful phrase-level analysis and correct use of the standards that apply to health advertising. Audits that label the whole sentence true or false, or that ignore implied claims because they are not stated directly, generally earn less than audits that classify every phrase and specify the evidence each would need. Some instructors provide the sentence; others ask students to find one in real advertising. Either way, the audit treats each phrase separately.
Inside the INHE 3002 Week 5 example
The audit quotes the full composite sentence and states its three categories. A table breaks the sentence into six phrases, classifies each and states the evidence each would need, with a note that the sentence is a composite. A paragraph summarizes the pattern. A section reports what current evidence supports for the direct and implied claims, citing a Reiki review. A section applies federal advertising guidance on implied claims and testimonials. The audit ends with a rewritten sentence that keeps the appeal while dropping unsupported causes and naming the training organization so clients can check it. Each row of the table moves left to right from phrase to type to required evidence, so the reasoning can be followed. The sentence is labeled as a composite so no real business is accused. The rewritten sentence closes the audit.
Reading the INHE 3002 Week 5 rubric
Instructors generally reward phrase-level classification, and the table secures most of that share. Recognizing implied claims, both the untestable phrase and the testimonial, earns substantial credit because these are the claims most often missed. Specifying the study design each claim would need shows understanding of evidence. Applying the federal standard correctly, including its treatment of testimonials and implied claims, shows the student can connect analysis to regulation. The rewritten sentence shows practical skill. Accurate citations for advertising guidance, a systematic review and the federal research center's summary complete the audit. Labeling the sentence as a composite keeps the audit fair to real businesses.
Common INHE 3002 Week 5 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Copy the promotional sentence exactly. Break it into phrases and label each as description, direct causal claim or implied claim. Pay special attention to vague benefits and customer testimonials, which imply causes without stating them. For each claim, write the kind of study that would support it. Check what evidence exists. Then try rewriting the sentence so every phrase is supportable. If marketing language is hard to pull apart, we can audit a sample sentence of your choosing. Label composite or invented examples clearly.
Get a INHE 3002 Week 5 example written to your instructions
Anything connected to where you work or volunteer stays yours to describe, so pass along only the wording of the claim itself. With that much, and the grading criteria your section posted, a custom audit returns inside 24-48h and the first is free. The audit turns entirely on the exact sentence assigned.
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INHE 3002 Week 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free INHE 3002 Week 5 sample paper?
The full audit of one spa sentence about Reiki appears on this page.
What are the three types of phrase?
Phrases that describe, phrases that assert a cause and phrases that imply a cause without saying it.
Why is "natural balance" a problem?
It is too vague to test, so no study could support or refute it.
Do testimonials count as evidence?
No. Federal guidance says testimonials cannot substitute for scientific evidence of a health effect.
What does the rewritten sentence change?
It names the training organization and describes sessions as relaxing without promising a health effect.