Logical Reasoning

PT151 · S4 · Q9 The brain area that enables

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The brain area that enables one to distinguish the different sounds made by a piano tends to be larger in a highly skilled musician than in someone who has rarely, if ever, played a musical instrument.

Evidence

The brain area that enables one to distinguish the different sounds made by a piano tends to be larger in a highly skilled musician than in someone who has rarely, if ever, played a musical instrument.

Conclusion

This shows that practicing on, and playing, a musical instrument actually alters brain structure.

Evaluate

This is a classic example of a Causal Flaw. As the legendary Steve Irwin would say, "she's a beauty!"

The evidence describes a correlation—two things that tend to happen together. A certain area of the brain tends to be larger in a highly skilled musician compared to someone who does not play a musical instrument.

The conclusion then claims that one of these things causes the other. While a correlation is potentially evidence of a causal relationship, by itself a correlation doesn't prove that one thing causes the other. This argument is flawed because it fails to consider alternative possibilities.

There could be any number of other factors which might cause this area of the brain to be larger in musicians. The actual causal relationship might be the reverse of what the conclusion claims: maybe when this area of the brain is larger than normal, that causes someone to become a skilled musician, or at least it's a partial cause.

Goal

We'll expect an answer to point out how the argument concludes that a casual relationship exists based solely on evidence of a correlation. A correct answer might suggest that the argument has failed to consider an alternative possibility. Beware of answers that describe flaws which don't occur in this argument.

9.

Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument?

  1. The argument presumes, without providing

    Part vs. Whole

    The evidence discusses an area of the brain that enables one to distinguish the different sounds made by a piano. It states that this area tends to be larger in highly skilled musicians. The argument never mentions highly skilled pianists. It doesn't use evidence specifically about pianists to support a conclusion about other highly skilled musicians.

    5% picked this

  2. Correct

    The argument fails to address

    Why this is right

    This answer choice suggests that there might be a causal relationship between a certain area of the brain and being a highly skilled musician, but the relationship is the opposite of the one proposed by the argument's conclusion.

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

    83% picked this

  3. The argument draws a conclusion

    Sampling

    This can be an appealing answer at first glance, because the conclusion is written in very general language. But the evidence is about the size of a certain brain area in highly skilled musicians, and there is no indication that the conclusion is about a broader range of phenomena. The conclusion isn't necessarily about people other than highly skilled musicians. And the "brain structure" mentioned in the conclusion might be the same area of the brain discussed in the evidence.

    8% picked this

  4. The argument fails to address

    Opposite (if anything)

    If an argument "fails to address" a possibility, that possibility, whatever it is, should weaken the argument. Assuming that this answer choice is even talking about the same area of the brain as the argument, if this area is smaller in people who have never learned to play a musical instrument compared to people who have, that could potentially strengthen the argument. This still wouldn't prove a causal relationship, but it's more evidence supporting the idea that there is some relationship between playing music and the size of this area of the brain, and it's not just a coincidence.

    2% picked this

  5. The argument presumes, without providing

    Irrelevant Comparison

    The evidence compares highly skilled musicians to people who rarely, if ever, play a musical instrument. There isn't any comparison between highly skilled musicians and other musicians. The argument isn't assuming anything about a difference in the amount of practice done by these two different groups of musicians.

    2% picked this

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