Logical Reasoning

PT122 · S2 · Q4 Child psychologist: Some studies in

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Child psychologist: Some studies in which children have been observed before and after playing video games with violent content have shown that young children tend to behave more aggressively immediately after playing the games.

Conclusion (this suggests that)

The violence in video games leads young children to believe aggressive behavior is acceptable.

Evidence

Young kids tend to behave more aggressively right after playing a violent video game.

Evaluate

This is an Explain Curious Fact style argument, with a non-causal comparison in the evidence ("tend to behave more aggressively"), i.e. a Correlation / a Curious Fact.

And the conclusion introduces a causal claim: "violence in these games leads young children ..."

CURIOUS FACT: why are kids behaving more aggressively right after playing a violent video game?

EXPLANATION: the violence in the game teaches them that violence is acceptable, so they start acting more violently toward

Strengthening can occur by ruling out alternate explanations for the curious fact or making the author's causal story more plausible.

Goal

Find four answers that strengthen, either by ruling out an AlterFind the answer choice that does not strengthen the argument, possibly identifying one that has no impact or weakens the causal claim that video game violence makes aggressive behavior seem acceptable to children.

Conclusion

Choice B is the correct answer, as it neither supports nor strengthens the argument's claim. Instead, it implies that kids may already find aggression acceptable, thereby failing to connect violent video games as a new cause for this belief. The other answers strengthen the argument by reinforcing or adding plausibility to the causal explanation.

4.

Each of the following, if true, strengthens the child psychologist's argument EXCEPT:

  1. Young children tend to be

    Strengthens

    This choice suggests that young kids become more accepting of aggressive behavior in others after playing violent video games, adding plausibility to the causal link that these games promote the acceptability of aggression.

    1% picked this

  2. Correct

    Many young children who have

    Why this is right

    This states that many young kids already believe aggressive behavior is acceptable before playing violent video games. It does not strengthen the argument because it suggests preexisting beliefs, which could weaken the causal claim that video games teach this acceptance.

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

    88% picked this

  3. Other studies have shown no

    Strengthens

    This rules out the alternate explanation that playing any video game leads to aggression by showing that children only exhibit increased aggression with violent games, bolstering the argument's causal claim.

    5% picked this

  4. Older children are less likely

    Strengthens

    This involves older kids also believing aggressive behavior is more acceptable after playing violent video games, supporting the notion that such games contribute to learning aggression as acceptable behavior, thus strengthening the causal link. Remember, even though older children ≠ younger children, they are still somewhat fair to compare. On Str / Weak, a somewhat similar comparison can still add some plausibility / corroboration to what the author is arguing.

    3% picked this

  5. Young children tend to behave

    Strengthens

    This suggests a commonly observed pattern where children behave aggressively after being told aggression is acceptable, and it strengthens the plausibility that learning something is acceptable leads to behaving that way.

    3% picked this

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