Psychologist: There are theories that

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: shown to be false4% picked this

   Freudian theories have offered interesting suggestions, which have been shown to be false, about the

   All we know is that Freud's theories are less successful at predicting human behavior, so we know that some Freudian predictions turn out to be false at least sometimes. But we can't say that Freud's suggestions about the causes of human behavior have been shown to be false.

   4%
2. B

   Correct78% picked this

   A psychological theory with greater predictive success than another is scientifically

   Why this is right

   Why is the author saying, "we should prefer these other theories to Freud's theory"? Because, "these other theories are more successful at predicting human behavior". So, yes, the author is assuming that greater predictive success makes the theory preferable.

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   78%
3. C

   Relative vs. Absolute9% picked this

   Freudian theory has had little success in predicting how people will behave

   We only know that Freudian theories are less successful. We don't know that they're rarely successful. A theory that only predicts right 80% of the time is less successful than a theory that predicts right 90% of the time, but we wouldn't say that the 80% theory has "little success in predicting".

   9%
4. D

   Too Strong: measuring involves theories7% picked this

   Measuring the predictive success of a psychological theory involves considering other theories that attempt to

   The author doesn't have to assume that measuring the predictive success necessitates considering other theories. Couldn't you just measure the predictive success of a theory by calculating what percentage of its predictions come true? Just because she says "this theory has less predictive success than these other theories" doesn't mean that predictive success was measured by looking at other theories.

   7%
5. E

   Too Broad: scientific theories2% picked this

   Scientific theories become impractical if they posit causal mechanisms beyond a certain

   This argument is only about Freud's theories vs. some other theories. The author isn't assuming anything about all scientific theories. She certainly hasn't committed to an assumption that "if you get complex enough, your theory automatically becomes impractical".

   2%