A chimp who displays feelings of affection

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: whenever7% picked this

   Chimps express their emotions behaviorally whenever they

   The author hasn't committed herself to thinking that chimps or humans always express their emotions behaviorally. In fact, the existence of the shy chimps who don't display feelings of attraction could be an example of chimps who feel emotions but don't express them behaviorally.

   7%
2. B

   Correct55% picked this

   Feelings of affection in chimp communities are at least

   Why this is right

   This gets at the "those who give out affection, get back affection". In order for these two cases to be comparable, there has to be some overlap between the chimp fact and the human fact. Currently, there isn't. The human fact is that targets of affection get saved from harm more. The chimp fact is that givers of affection get saved from harm more. For affection to be playing the same role based on these two examples, there needs to be an overlap between givers of affection and receivers of affection. That's what this answer is saying: it must be that at least sometimes those who give out affection receive that affection reciprocated by someone else. If we negated this, and we were saying that "affection was never reciprocated", that would mean a (tragic) chimp society in which there was never mutual affection. A chimp who displayed affection to others would never get affection in return. Other chimps would never feel affection towards him. That would be a big objection to the argument because it would create an irreparable difference between the chimp example of affection and the human example.

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

   55%
3. C

   Too Strong12% picked this

   Feelings of affection are the only reason humans protect

   Too Strong: the only Only Thing Mentioned ? Only Thing The author doesn't need to assume that affection is the only reason we ever protect each other. This is a common trap answer where they try to get students to think, "if feelings of affection are the only reason he mentioned, then maybe he assumes that feelings of affection are the only reason." This is the same flawed interpretation of Black Lives Matter: "If he only mentioned black lives, then maybe he assumes that only black lives matter."

   12%
4. D

   Too Strong: limited to8% picked this

   Expression of affection in chimps is limited to members of the social group to

   If we negate this answer, it will be saying that chimps are sometimes affectionate with chimps that are outside of their social group. Would that be a big objection? Nope. So this can't be the correct answer. Saying that affection was limited to a chimp's social group was stronger than anything the author needs to assume.

   8%
5. E

   Too Strong: usually18% picked this

   Feelings of affection, in both human and chimp communities, are usually displayed

   We don't have any information about frequency of altruism, as a mode of expressing affection. This answer is saying the author needs to assume that 51% or more displays of affection are altruism. Would it hurt the argument if only 49% were altruistic, and the other displays of affection were 51% nuzzling and snuggling? Of course not. The "usually" is how you judge the truth value of that claim, and it's the issue of 51% vs. 49% is not crucial to this argument.

   18%