#22 - Researcher: Experiences that are accompanied by increased secretions of adrenaline

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Weaken. The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[ikim10]

I narrowed down my choices to (A), (B), and (C). I thought (A) was the strongest because I equated "intense" with "frightening".

Additionally, I thought (B) and (C) were too similar in that both were suggesting that other non-frightening experiences could potentially be remembered better than frightening experiences, so I eliminated them since there can't be 2 right answers.

Looking now, I can see that (B) is incorrect because it fails to mention any connection with remembering experiences better when associated with an increase in adrenaline.

Is (A) incorrect because my assumption of "intense" = "frightening" incorrect? If so, how can I avoid making these improper equivocations in the future?

[Luke Haqq]

Hi ikim10!

I think you are right to question your assumptions that intense and frightening mean the same thing. Perhaps underlining these key words could be helpful to avoid making an assumption that two different words mean the same thing. With both "frightening" and "intense" underlined, you might ask if these words usually mean the same thing. When I look at them, it's not clear what the relationship is. A frightening experience might seem to be a subset of intense experiences in general, for example, but that's not necessarily the case. Something might be mildly frightening, so just because something is frightening doesn't necessarily mean it's intense.

Answer choice (C) attacks the conclusion that frightening experiences tend to be remembered more than non-frightening experiences by getting at the cause and effect relationship in the stimulus. If "highly pleasurable experiences" are also accompanied by adrenaline, then it's no longer clear why frightening experiences are remembered with greater clarity than non-frightening ones (highly pleasurable experiences should seem to be remembered with clarity as well since they also produce adrenaline).

[Claire.L]

Hello,

The stimulus: fear--> adrenaline increase --> remember more clear
conclusion: frightening exp. --> remember more clear

C: pleasurable exp. --> adrenaline increase --> remember more clear. I understand this can weaken the argument. But I don't understand how frightening experiences could be highly pleasurable experiences.

Thank you!

[Dana D]

Hey Claire,

The author is claiming that frightening experiences are more memorable than nonfrightening experiences, yet if answer choice (C) was true, this would be weakened, because now we have another type of experience that is both more likely to be remembered (because there is adrenaline produced) but which is nonfrightening. These are two separate types of experiences, which is why answer choice (C) would weaken the argument.

hope that helps!

[Claire.L]

(C) Highly pleasurable experiences are, like frightening experiences, accompanied by increased levels of adrenaline.

But in C, it says "Highly pleasurable experiences are, like frightening experiences, accompanied by increased levels of adrenaline."

Can I interpret it as frightening experiences accompanied by increased levels of adrenaline?

If this is the case, I think C won't weaken the conclusion.

Thank you.

Hey Claire,

The author is claiming that frightening experiences are more memorable than nonfrightening experiences, yet if answer choice (C) was true, this would be weakened, because now we have another type of experience that is both more likely to be remembered (because there is adrenaline produced) but which is nonfrightening. These are two separate types of experiences, which is why answer choice (C) would weaken the argument.

hope that helps!

[Dana D]

Hey Claire,

There are two truths - highly pleasurable experiences have heightened levels of adrenaline and
frightening experiences have heightened levels of adrenaline.

Answer choice (C) weakens the argument because it shows there is a second type of experience which could be just as highly memorable as a frightening experience, because it has the same sufficient condition (adrenaline).

[Claire.L]

Hi Dana,

Oh I got it. Thank you so much for your clarification!! Very much appreciated!!

Best,
Claire