Logical Reasoning

PT151 · S3 · Q1 Researchers put two electrodes

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Researchers put two electrodes in a pool that a dolphin swam in.

Given

Researchers put two electrodes in a pool that a dolphin swam in.

When the dolphin swam near the electrodes, the researchers would sometimes create a weak electric field by activating the electrodes.

The dolphin would swim away if the electrodes were activated; otherwise it acted normally.

The researchers then placed a plastic shield over small organs called vibrissal crypts located on the dolphin’s snout.

With the crypts covered, the dolphin no longer swam away when the electrodes were activated.

Evaluate / Goal

These statements first describe how a dolphin responded to an electric field when small organs on the dolphin's snout were not covered. It compares that to the way that the dolphin responded when the small organs were covered.

The dolphin responded differently when the organs were covered. This supports the idea that covering the organs caused the dolphin to respond differently. This in turn supports the idea that these organs allow dolphins to sense electric fields.

The statements don't prove that there is a causal connection here, but this question only asks for an answer that is most strongly supported.

1.

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?

  1. In the wild, dolphins sometimes

    Too Speculative

    The information we're given only concerns how the dolphins reacted during the experiment. We're not expected to speculate about how a dolphin developed this ability. This answer might seem reasonable if you're aware that animals' adaptations often correspond to something in their environment. But not everyone is married to an environmental science teacher like I am, or has learned that some other way.

    0% picked this

  2. Correct

    Vibrissal crypts enable dolphins to

    Why this is right

    The way the dolphin reacted normally compared to how they reacted when these organs were covered supports the idea that the organs allow dolphins to sense these fields.

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

    89% picked this

  3. Dolphins do not instinctually avoid

    Unsupported Causality

    This answer seems to suggest that by activating the electric field the researchers trained the dolphin to avoid it. But the information we're given doesn't provide any evidence of that. There's no support for the idea that a dolphin wouldn't normally avoid an electric field.

    1% picked this

  4. Electric fields interfere with the

    Out of Scope

    We aren't told anything about the "normal functioning" of the vibrissal crypts. It's entirely possible that their normal function is to detect electric fields. Or maybe they have some other purpose, but while functioning normally they also allow dolphins to detect electric fields.

    9% picked this

  5. Under normal circumstances, dolphins are

    Contradicted

    The information we're given indicates that dolphins can normally detect electric fields.

    1% picked this

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