#3 - The reason music with a simple recurring rhythm exerts

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (A)

In this case the main conclusion is presented in the opening sentence of the paragraph: Music with
a strong rhythm is primordially appealing because it is reminiscent of the womb environment. This
conclusion is immediately followed by the premise (introduced with the indicator “after all”) that the
first sound we hear is the comforting sound of the mother’s heartbeat. The author asserts that birth
removes this constant source of comfort, leaving us in search of warmth and security, which can
come in the form of rhythmic sounds.

The stimulus is followed by a Main Point question, and the first sentence of the paragraph provides
a nice prephrase for this answer: recurring rhythm has appeal because it reminds us of the womb
environment.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. This answer perfectly expresses the main
conclusion of the paragraph, as prephrased above. The author believes that the reason we find primal
appeal in recurring rhythm is found in its similarity to the womb environment.

Answer choice (B): Although this choice is accurate according to the stimulus, it is not the main
point of the argument but rather a supporting premise.

Answer choice (C): Much like incorrect answer choice (B) above, this choice provides a premise in
support of the main conclusion, rather than the main point of the argument itself.

Answer choice (D): This choice, like the other incorrect answer choices above, accurately presents
information from the stimulus; according to the argument, people do seek warmth and security after
it has been taken away at birth, but this is not the author’s main conclusion. The main point is that
people often find this warmth and security in recurring rhythms, which remind them of the womb,
which is the reason that music with a simple recurring rhythm has a strong primordial appeal.

Answer choice (E): This choice provides yet another important part of the argument presented,
but does not express the main point. Rather, this is a premise which provides support for the main
conclusion—that we are drawn to simple recurring rhythms because they remind us of the secure,
warm environment that we lose in birth.

[mgoss]

Hi,

I have a quick question regarding the two answer choices A and D.

I thought the first and last sentences were both conclusions. I ultimately chose D because when I used the conclusion identification method, D sounded more like the main conclusion with the premise being A vs. A conclusion with D premise.

"Because he reason music with a simple recurring rhythm exerts a strong primordial appeal is that it reminds us of the womb environment We can conclude it is extremely natural that in seeking sensations of warmth and security throughout life, people would be strongly drawn toward simple recurring rhythmic sounds."

vs.

"Because it is extremely natural that in seeking sensations of warmth and security throughout life, people would be strongly drawn toward simple recurring rhythmic sounds. We can conclude the reason music with a simple recurring rhythm exerts a strong primordial appeal is that it reminds us of the womb environment"

This is how I usually identify the main conclusion in multiple conclusion arguments, so now I am worried I will identify the main conclusion incorrectly. Is there something I performed incorrectly in the conclusion identification method, or a better method at identifying the main conclusion in a multiple conclusion argument?

Thanks

[Jeremy Press]

Hi mgoss,

You're performing the Conclusion Identification Method in the proper way, but we have to be careful with the language of the answer choices here. Answer choice D is incorrect, because it actually says something different than the last sentence of the stimulus says. The last sentence of the stimulus calls it "extremely natural" (meaning, unsurprising, normal, etc.) for people to seek out recurring rhythms. But that's not quite a true "cause/effect" statement. Answer choice D makes a cause/effect statement in saying that people seek sensations of warmth and security because birth takes away the warmth and security of the womb. Notice also that answer choice D is missing the stimulus's reference to people being drawn to "simple recurring rhythmic sounds." So the answer is not truly echoing the last sentence of the stimulus. The correct answer to a main point question cannot change the claims in the stimulus, and that's what answer choice D is doing.

I hope this helps!

Jeremy

[mgoss]

Thanks, Jeremy, I understand my mistake now.

I have just one more question. In identifying the conclusion of an argument, if an answer choice includes a conclusion along with a premise, does that still make the answer choice correct? Or would only the conclusion (without any of the premises of the argument) be what the correct answer of Main Point questions are?

Thanks,
Matt

[KelseyWoods]

Hi Matt!

Generally, the correct answer to a Main Point question will just contain the conclusion without any premises. I can't think of any examples I have seen where the correct answer had a premise with the conclusion and I strongly doubt you would see this...but I would choose an answer choice that had the main conclusion + a premise over an answer choice that didn't have the main conclusion at all. Just be sure you know what the main conclusion is before jumping into the answer choices!

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey