Critical Reasoning

3.In 1973, a remote town first acquired television. Shortly before broadcasts began there, a study was made of children's behavior. A similar study in the same community, after two years of TV, showed that the aggression rate among children of this age had increased by 160%. The conclusion drawn was that TV plays an important role in generating aggressive behavior in children. A similar study, covering the same years, was made in two similar communities that had had television for decades. This study showed no change in the aggression rate from 1973 to 1975. The results of the second study:

A) suggest that the prevalence of violent themes in TV programming may be explained by the tendencies toward violence which are deeply-rooted in human nature.

B) indicate that different social groups may react quite differently to similar stimuli.

C) demonstrate that long-term exposure to TV has no more severe effects than short-term exposure.

D) support the conclusion drawn from the first study.

E) disprove the conclusion drawn from the first study.

My choice was c. OA -D. please clarify

This can only be done by POE.
C is wrong because we don't know about the severity of effects in both the cases. We just know the difference.
On one hand it brought a lot of difference, on the other hand there was no difference since they were already aggressive enough to produce much difference.

The second study acts as a control group for the first. It shows that there were no outside factors that would influence aggressive behavior.

Jim@StratusPrep wrote:The second study acts as a control group for the first. It shows that there were no outside factors that would influence aggressive behavior.

Jim, can you please elaborate it?

Because when i first read the argument, it seems to be disapproving the first study's conclusion as it says that TV does not influence the aggressive behavior.

Dear Ashu Jain,

The first study proves that introducing the tv is causing the aggression among the kids to increase. The second study, by virtue of showing that aggression in unchanged among the children (and keeping in mind that television has been part of that community for a long time), reaffirms that no factor other than the introduction of tv causes aggression to increase among kids.

So, the second study, confirms the concussion drawn by the first study.

C is the bait that is thrown out to the students but do not take it.

It is D!

Birottam,

How can no change means increase in aggression. I think none of the answer choice is correct.

Birottam Dutt wrote:Dear Ashu Jain,

The first study proves that introducing the tv is causing the aggression among the kids to increase. The second study, by virtue of showing that aggression in unchanged among the children (and keeping in mind that television has been part of that community for a long time), reaffirms that no factor other than the introduction of tv causes aggression to increase among kids.

So, the second study, confirms the concussion drawn by the first study.

C is the bait that is thrown out to the students but do not take it.

It is D!

Jim@StratusPrep wrote:The second study acts as a control group for the first. It shows that there were no outside factors that would influence aggressive behavior.

Jim,

Could you please throw more light on this one. It is clear that "no outside factors would influence aggressive behavior" but based on second study how do we conclude that TV is the culprit. The study says "No change in rate of aggression"

Regards
Nitin

shrutib wrote:3.In 1973, a remote town first acquired television. Shortly before broadcasts began there, a study was made of children's behavior. A similar study in the same community, after two years of TV, showed that the aggression rate among children of this age had increased by 160%. The conclusion drawn was that TV plays an important role in generating aggressive behavior in children. A similar study, covering the same years, was made in two similar communities that had had television for decades. This study showed no change in the aggression rate from 1973 to 1975. The results of the second study:

A) suggest that the prevalence of violent themes in TV programming may be explained by the tendencies toward violence which are deeply-rooted in human nature.

B) indicate that different social groups may react quite differently to similar stimuli.

C) demonstrate that long-term exposure to TV has no more severe effects than short-term exposure.

D) support the conclusion drawn from the first study.

E) disprove the conclusion drawn from the first study.

My choice was c. OA -D. please clarify

Pls use Spoilers