Q18

[LSAT-Chang]

I was debating between C and D for about 2 minutes, but ended up picking D because I couldn't see a clear difference between the two answers. I thought (D) was more supported than (C) since we are given evidence as to how squirrels that have been free froms nakes for 70,000 to 300,000 years still recognize rattle snakes (basically they haven't seen a snake for that long, and then they see it -- and behave that way), whereas I thought (C) was too much of a generalization that we can't really make.. any thoughts???

[mcrittell]

Ideas?

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Let's take a look at answer choices (C) and (D) and compare them to the last paragraph of the passage. Lines 56-57 suggest that the relict behavior does not persist interminably without some reinforcement. Answer choice (C) also suggests that such relict behavior may eventually disappear if it is not reinforced.

However answer choice (D) is moving in the opposite direction. It's not suggesting that that the behavior may disappear without reinforcement but rather that with reinforcement the relict behavior will never go away. Essentially the difference between answer choice (D) and the passage is that it represents a negation of the relationship established.

The passage suggests that:

~R ---> ~P

R = reinforcement of relict behavior, P = relict behavior will persist

Whereas answer choice (D) suggests that:

R ----> P

Let me know if that does not answer your question here!

[raziel]

Also, notice the strong language used in (D) when compared to answer choice (C). This tends to be a very good indicator of what the correct answer choice will be.

Answer choice (D) tells us that behavior "will persist interminably" whereas answer choice (C) tells us that "it may eventually disappear". Notice the softer language used in (C).

Also, the evidence presented in the passage is of one specific instance (arctic squirrels). This is not enough evidence to make a general statement like (D). But it is enough evidence to show that in some instances it may disappear.

[BillP]

Here is another way of explaining the incorrectness of (D).

We know that (D) says that, as a way of protecting an organism, certain behavior patterns will persist interminably if periodically reinforced. But the passage appears to offer a counter-example to (D). In the passage, we are told that Arctic ground squirrels do not recognize the threat of rattlesnakes even after being bitten repeatedly. In other words, even though the Arctic ground squirrels were repeatedly bitten, which is the reinforcement, their protective behavior did not persist, the behavior being, presumably, "fear." This example follows on the heels of the statement that fear, apparently, does not persist interminably.

Thus, the Arctic ground squirrel example can be understood as a counter-example to (D) since the reinforcement, i.e. the biting, did not lead to certain behavior patterns, i.e. the fear, persisting interminably. In fact, we are told that the squirrels only exhibited disorganized caution, which is, arguably, hardly protective behavior.

With that said, raziel's comment that the Arctic ground squirrel example is not enough evidence to "make" a statement like (D) suggests, on raziel's part, a faulty understanding of the relationship between the Arctic ground squirrel example and (D). Even if the author of the passage had given us a hundred examples analogous to the squirrel example, this would give us more reason to believe that (D) is false, not true, as raziel's analysis would have it.