Critical Reasoning

The question pertains to suggesting the hypothesis that accounts for the findings.

An experiment was done in which human subjects recognize a pattern within a matrix of abstract designs and then select another design that completes that pattern. The results of the experiment were surprising. The lowest expenditure of energy in neurons in the brain was found in those subjects who performed most successfully in the experiments.

Which of the following best accounts for the findings of the experiment?
(a) The neurons of the brain react less when a subject is trying to recognize patterns than when the subject is doing other kinds of reasoning.
(b) Those who performed the best in the experiment experienced more satisfaction when working with the abstract patterns than did those who performed less well.
(c)People who are better at abstract pattern recognition have more energy-efficient neural connections.
(d) The energy expenditure of the subjects' brain increases when a design that completes the initially recognized pattern is determined.
(e) The task of completing a given design more capably performed by athletes, whose energy expenditure is lower when they are at rest.

While attempting the question, I thought of the statement that is mentioned leading to the conclusion, which says that the results were surprising. Does this mean while finding out the hypothesis, it is required that the hypothesis was reverse of what was found? In that case, (D) would be the best answer.

Is this appproach to the question stem wrong?

ncavaggn wrote:The question pertains to suggesting the hypothesis that accounts for the findings.

An experiment was done in which human subjects recognize a pattern within a matrix of abstract designs and then select another design that completes that pattern. The results of the experiment were surprising. The lowest expenditure of energy in neurons in the brain was found in those subjects who performed most successfully in the experiments.

Which of the following best accounts for the findings of the experiment?
(a) The neurons of the brain react less when a subject is trying to recognize patterns than when the subject is doing other kinds of reasoning.
(b) Those who performed the best in the experiment experienced more satisfaction when working with the abstract patterns than did those who performed less well.
(c)People who are better at abstract pattern recognition have more energy-efficient neural connections.
(d) The energy expenditure of the subjects' brain increases when a design that completes the initially recognized pattern is determined.
(e) The task of completing a given design more capably performed by athletes, whose energy expenditure is lower when they are at rest.

While attempting the question, I thought of the statement that is mentioned leading to the conclusion, which says that the results were surprising. Does this mean while finding out the hypothesis, it is required that the hypothesis was reverse of what was found? In that case, (D) would be the best answer.

Is this appproach to the question stem wrong?

This is a RESOLVE/EXPLAIN question.
In this type of CR, do not look for a premise or a conclusion.
Rather, look for TWO FACTS that seem to CONTRADICT each other.
Here, the correct answer must ACCOUNT FOR the following apparent contradiction:
In subjects who PERFORMED MOST SUCCESSFULLY in the experiments, the LOWEST EXPENDITURE OF ENERGY in neurons in the brain was found.

Answer choice C offers an explanation: People who are better at abstract pattern recognition [and thus PERFORMED MOST SUCCESSFULLY in the experiments] have more energy-efficient neural connections [and thus exhibited the LOWEST EXPENDITURE OF ENERGY in the experiments].

The correct answer is C.