#25 - Helena: Extroversion, or sociability, is not

[est15]

Hi, I'm not really sure what to be looking for in questions that ask how the second speaker interprets the first speaker's arguments. Can you explain what characteristics the right answer should have? This is for #25 in the fourth section of PrepTest 32 but I'm wondering generally how to approach these types of problems. Thanks.

[Ron Gore]

Hi Est!

The characteristics of the correct answer choice will depend not just on the stimulus but on the question stem as well. So, you can't really generalize about what you'll be looking for in the right answer choice just based on the fact that it's a two-speaker stimulus.

What I can say is that you always need to read both arguments and consider how they relate to each other. Often -- and especially when people make the mistake of reading the question stem first -- they'll just focus on the speaker primarily referenced by the question stem.

In the case of Question 25, it is a Must Be True question, but the question stem gives more specific direction. You're supposed to compare Jay's statements to Helena's and infer what it is Jay thought Helena was saying.

Helena's conclusion is that "Extroversion, or sociability, is not biologically determined." Jay says that her conclusion does not follow, or is invalid, because some children adopted by extroverts remained introverted. Essentially, Jay is saying that because it's not always the case that children born of introverted parents become extroverted when adopted by extroverts, then Helena's conclusion does not follow. If he thinks that, then he must have thought that when Helena said extroversion is not biologically determined, she meant that biology has nothing at all to do with it, rather than meaning that biology is not determinative, though it can play some contributing role in a child being introverted or extroverted. So, answer choice D is correct.

Please let me know if that clears things up, or if you need more assistance.

Thanks!

Ron

[est15]

Thanks, Ron! That makes sense now.

[justfinditjoshyip]

Hey Ron,

I thought we were supposed to read the question stem first with questions like these? Is that not a good way to approach questions like these?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi justfinditjoshyip,

We never recommend reading the question stem first. There are several reasons for this. First, the main goal in most stimuli is to analyze the argument. It doesn't matter if it's asking you to strengthen, weaken, find an assumption, or describe the argument. To do any of those things, you'll need to know what the argument is. Second, you waste a fair amount of time jumping back and forth between the stimulus and the question stem. Let's say it takes you one or two seconds to go down to the question stem, and then to skim back over before you get to the answer choices. That's up to an extra minute on the section spent moving your eyes around. You could use that time better. Third, the question stem could be unhelpful without the context of the question, or even worse, it could distract you from the full argument.

Hope that helps!
Rachael