#9 - Global Reference, Main Point

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

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!

[emilysnoddon]

I had a difficult time with this question. I eliminated answer choice C because I felt the scope was too narrow compared to the passage. The passage has an entire paragraph discussing the limitations of the technique, which is not discussed in answer choice C. I was debating between answer choice A and C because they both highlight the limitations. I finally choice answer choice A because while it spoke about the limitations it also highlighted the effectiveness supported by research. Could you please explain why C is correct and why A is incorrect.

[Ladan Soleimani]

Hi Emily,

Answer choices (A) and (C) are similar so it can be difficult to pick between them. There is one big issue with answer choice (A). It states that its "effectiveness in actual trials has been demonstrated", but the passage says no empirical studies of actual trials has tested its effectiveness (line 10). The evidence the author uses is from simulated trials and psychological tests.

You are correct that answer choice (C) does not bring up the limitations discussed at the end of the passage, but for a main point question you are looking for the author's main conclusion; the correct answer does not need to contain everything that was mentioned in the passage. The author's main conclusion here is that evidence supports the common belief that stealing thunder is a useful strategy. I hope that clarifies things!

Ladan

[emilysnoddon]

It seems to me that answer choice E also discusses the main point of the passage, that is addressed in answer choice C but includes the limitations that are discussed in the final paragraph. Is answer choice E incorrect because it says research has identified the general limitations and this isn't necessarily true. Rather, the author postulates the limitations. Let me know. Thanks!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Emily,

This is correct. Good job on that one!

[snowy]

I also chose A for the same reasons as Emily in the first post, and ruled out C for the same reason. Ladan's response mostly made sense to me, but the area where I'm still stuck is on the wording of A: "its effectiveness in actual trials has been demonstrated through..."

I was also cautious of A at first because of its mention of actual trials when the passage specifically says no research has directly tested actual trials, like Ladan said, but then I reconsidered it because (to me), A isn't necessarily contradicting that fact - rather, A is saying that the effectiveness in actual trials has been demonstrated (not necessarily through testing actual trials themselves). The first sentence of the second paragraph seemed to support this, by saying that while research hasn't been conducted on actual trials, simulations have suggested that it "is, in fact, effective."

Where am I going wrong here?

[Zach Foreman]

Snowy,
Did you prephrase the main point before this question? I would have done something like this:
Stealing Thunder's effectiveness is supported by 1. widespread belief in the law community, 2. simulated trials (not actual trials), 3. credibility imaging, 4. previewing, 5. scarcity/"old news", 6. framing.
To condense further: "Stealing Thunder's effectiveness is supported by experiment and several psychological theories." or even "Stealing Thunder seems to work."
B and D go against this. A is too strong. C is the only one that omits the limitations. But I don't think that is a problem because that is not really the main point. You could omit all mention of limitations and the thrust would be the same. The evidence for Stealing Thunder is broad but weak. However, the limitations are purely speculative with far less evidence.

"However, it may therefore be effective only when the negative information can be
framed positively."

But this also suggests limitations on the use of the technique:

Only two sentences talk about limitations and they are full of speculation.
It seems you are saying that simulations can demonstrate effectiveness in actual trials, this is not necessarily the case. Also, I think that you did not give enough weight to the word "suggested". Suggesting that something is effective is not equivalent to demonstrating that it is effective.

[TSimmons]

Hi all,

Just wanted some quick clarification. In one of the previous posts, there was mention of E being incorrect (which it indeed is). However, the discussed reason was that the research itself did not discuss general limitations; rather, it was a deduction/ extension of the research made by the author. I know that getting into the minutiae / splitting hairs is a red flag, but the line I focused on was "[the] research [was] designed to confirm" the efficacy of stealing thunder. In my mind, the passage drew from more general psychological principles/experiments/research and applied them, much more than any psychological research tailored for the task.

Phew, needlessly complex

Thanks
Toby

[Robert Carroll]

Toby,

Either reason is fatal for answer choice (E), so you can use either one to eliminate that answer!

Robert Carroll