#20 - Can any research be found to validate the contention

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Method of ReasoningX. The correct answer choice is (D)

Answer choice (A): The author does this in “… there is no necessary connection”, referring to the assertion that those who spend time plucking out their gray hairs have more negative attitudes towards the elderly than those who shrug their shoulders about their gray hairs.

Answer choice (B): The author does this in “Certainly it is reasonably to like the elderly yet dislike the idea of impaired eyesight and hearing.”

Answer choice (C): The author appeals to the “nearly universally accepted ethical standards” in claiming that holding negative attitudes towards older people merely because they are old is immoral.

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The author does not discredit any stereotypes about the elderly in the argument.

Answer choice (E): The author makes the distinction between holding negative attitudes toward older people merely because they are old, and disliking some concomitants of the aging process.

[Tarte au chocolate]

I chose C. Why is "holding negative attitudes toward older ppl merely because they are old is immoral" not discrediting the stereotype against old ppl?

[KelseyWoods]

Hi Tarte au chocolate!

"Holding negative attitudes toward older people merely because they are old is immoral" is a general principle (or rule), as described in answer choice (C). Discrediting a stereotype is not just saying that holding a stereotype is morally wrong, rather to discredit would be to show that stereotype to be factually wrong. For example, a stereotype about older people in the workforce might be that they are less productive. To discredit this stereotype I could cite statistics which show that older workers are just as productive as younger workers. Here, the author tells us that it is morally wrong to overgeneralize and have negative attitudes toward the elderly, but does not give us any evidence to directly discredit or call into question stereotypes about the elderly.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[Coleman]

I barely got this answer correct by striking out what the author did in order to proceed with her point of view. However, I'm not super clear what makes the answer choice (D) is not one she used in order to advance the argument.
The first sentence in the passage states, "Can any research be found to validate the contention that those who spend time plucking out their grey hairs have more negative attitudes toward the elderly [...]"

Doesn't this contention have some elements that could be seen as 'a common stereotype about the elderly' and the author attempts to discredit it throughout her argument?
In my reasoning, few people held a common stereotype toward those people plucking out their grey hairs are more likely to have negative attitudes toward the elderly, and the author tries to disprove it.
Could you give a more clarification on this? Thanks!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Coleman,

Does the author discredit a stereotype about the elderly, or about people who pluck gray hairs? The author doesn't really address stereotypes about the elderly at all, or attempt to discredit them. He implies certain things may be true about the elderly---they may have vision loss, hearing loss, or gray hair. But he doesn't discredit any of those statements. He does discredit a position about those who have gray hair and try to pull it out. Those aren't necessarily elderly people. Young people can have gray hair, hearing loss, or vision loss.

Hope that helps!
Rachael

[cgleeson]

Hi Kelsey,
Your explanation was really helpful, it's funny because when you demonstrate that the author doesn't provide any evidence (cite) to discredit the stereotype this answer really comes together for me. The other answers choices are clearly demonstrated in the passage. Thank you.

Hi Tarte au chocolate!

"Holding negative attitudes toward older people merely because they are old is immoral" is a general principle (or rule), as described in answer choice (C). Discrediting a stereotype is not just saying that holding a stereotype is morally wrong, rather to discredit would be to show that stereotype to be factually wrong. For example, a stereotype about older people in the workforce might be that they are less productive. To discredit this stereotype I could cite statistics which show that older workers are just as productive as younger workers. Here, the author tells us that it is morally wrong to overgeneralize and have negative attitudes toward the elderly, but does not give us any evidence to directly discredit or call into question stereotypes about the elderly.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey