#20 - Scientist: My research indicates that children who

[Jeff Wren]

Hi rlouis,

Answer E is not indicating multiple causes but multiple effects of the original cause, if anything. In the original argument, the gene variant is the proposed cause and the thrill seeking behavior is the effect.

In Answer E, we are told that the gene variant is correlated with other types of behavior in addition to thrill-seeking behavior. What this suggests is that the gene variant may cause other types of behavior (I specifically use the word "may" because correlation definitely does not prove causation) in addition to the thrill seeking behavior, meaning that it causes other effects in addition to the one described in the argument. That is completely fine and consistent with the argument; it does not weaken the argument's conclusion that the gene variant causes thrill seeking behavior.

[ashutosh_73]

Answer choice (A): The scientist makes the leap from impulsive children to thrill-seeking adults, so, oddly enough, when in this answer impulsive adults are referenced, it is irrelevant to the argument.

Hi, i had couple of reasons to remove (A):
1. ''Many'' is not enough. Many can be 3/4 out of 10milllion.
2. ''not unusually sensitive'' seemed unconvincing. Something can ''increase'' yet ''not increase unusually''
But i didn't understand why ''impulsive adults'' is irrelevant?

Also, if we have option (F) as below, would it weaken the argument?

(F) Most impulsive adults are not at all sensitive to dopamine.

I understand, it is never recommended to discuss option(F), but it could help me to understand option (A) better.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi ashutosh,

Answers are often wrong for more than one reason, and Answer A is an example of this.

You're right to point out the problems in Answer A regarding "many" and "unusually sensitive."

Even correcting for these, the answer would still be wrong using for term "impulsive adults."

So your hypothetical Answer F would still have the same problem and be incorrect.

The argument discusses impulsive behavior in children which is claimed to be similar to adult thrill seeking behavior.

This does not mean, however, that impulsive behavior in adults is similar or equivalent to adult thrill seeking behavior. Impulsive behavior in adults may have nothing to do with thrill seeking behavior in adults, and so this answer is irrelevant. Basically, Answer A has incorrectly mixed the two terms/groups. This is a common feature in many wrong answers and one to be on the lookout for.