Q10 - Anthropologist: In an experiment

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Question Type:
Weaken

Stimulus Breakdown:
The argument concludes that Neanderthals could have produced their sophisticaed tools even if they did not possess language. Why? Because two groups of students, one using language and the other not, were both able to produce one of the types of tools used by Neanderthals.

Answer Anticipation:
An answer that provides a distinction between the experiment involving undergraduate students and the tools made by Neanderthals would be ideal.

Correct answer:
(C)

Answer choice analysis:
(A) is out scope. The argument is about whether the tools produced by Neanderthals are evidence that they possessed language. This answer is about whether there is other evidence that Neanderthals possessed language.

(B) strengthens the argument.

(C) is correct. This answer would make the comparison to undergraduate students less relevant since the tools made by the undergraduate students less sophisticated than those made by the Neanderthals.

(D) is out of scope. This answer would undermine an argument about whether the proficiency of one's instructor has an impact on one's ability to produce tools.

(E) is out scope. The question isn't whether the tools produced by Neanderthals were more (or less) sophisticated than those produced by anatomically modern humans, but whether the tools produced by Neanderthals is evidence that they possessed language.

Takeaway/Pattern: Reasoning Structure: Comparison

#officialexplanation

[cynthiaemesibe]

I figured I give this one a shot and try my first explanation


Conclusion: This study shows that Neanderthals could have made sophisticated tools without the use of language

The study contained two groups of undergraduate students in which they were taught how to create one of the types of stone tools that Neanderthals made in prehistoric times.

First group was given elaborate instructions accompanied with a demonstration

Second group learned by silent demonstration

Results: No significant difference in the level of proficiency or in speed

For the correct answer (C) the stimulus never told us if they give the two groups the same exact materials that the Neanderthals used. Maybe they used fisher price toddler toys to replicate the sophisticated tools that Neanderthals used. If that's the case then it doesn't prove that Neanderthals didn't use language.


Wrong answer choices:

(A) Seems more like a premise booster to me and does nothing to the argument.

(B) This seems like it would strengthen the argument. The first group were able to discuss and really work together to complete the task whereas the second group had to remain silent and work together to complete the task. Both groups STILL showed no significant difference.

(D) This seems like it would also strengthen the argument. The instructor for the second group was less proficient than the instructor for the first group BUT the students still showed no significant difference of proficiency.

(E) This sounds kind of like (C), so it might of sounded like a tempting answer choice, however this sounds like its out of scope. We're talking about Neanderthals not modern humans who lived as the same time as Neanderthals. These are two completely different groups of people. There is a huge cultural difference involved.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Nice work cynthiaemesibe! Compare your work above to our official explanation below!