PrepTest 122, Section 2, Question 4
Child psychologist: Some studies in which children have(45 more words not shown)
Each of the following, if(7 more words not shown)
- AYoung children tend(17 more words not shown)
- BMany young children(15 more words not shown)
- COther studies have(16 more words not shown)
- DOlder children are(20 more words not shown)
- EYoung children tend(17 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Doing something and thinking it's acceptable are different things.
The studies give us behavior: young children act more aggressively right after playing violent video games. I might wonder how aggressive they become or how long that lasts. But the psychologist makes a different claim, about what the children believe. Do they now think aggression is okay?
Maybe the games make the children want to act aggressively even while they think they shouldn't. People can do things they consider wrong. So an observation about their actions doesn't automatically establish a change in their attitudes.
What we’re looking for
This is a strengthen-EXCEPT question. Four answers will help the psychologist's case; we want the one that doesn't. I'd especially welcome evidence connecting the children's behavior to greater acceptance of aggression. Another answer could help by making the proposed cause more plausible, even if it doesn't close that whole gap.
Working the answers
- A
This reaches the belief side of the argument. After the games, children are more accepting of aggression by other people. That is evidence of a changed attitude, not merely a change in their own behavior. It strengthens the psychologist's explanation, so eliminate it.
- BCorrect
These children have never played the violent games. Their acceptance of aggression shows that the games aren't the only possible route to that attitude. But the psychologist never claims they are the only route.
We still don't know whether playing violent games changes the beliefs of children who do play them. Other children could approve of aggression for other reasons while the proposed effect also occurs. B doesn't support that effect.
- C
Maybe playing any video game leaves children restless, regardless of the content. This answer makes that alternative less promising: the increased aggression doesn't appear after nonviolent games. That comparison supports a role for the violent content. It doesn't settle the separate belief question, but a strengthener doesn't have to repair every weakness.
- D
Older children show the very change in belief that the psychologist proposes for young children. They're not the exact same group, so this doesn't prove the conclusion. Still, seeing that effect in older children gives some support to its occurring in younger children too. Unlike B, D describes an attitude change associated with playing the violent games.
- E
After children are told aggression is acceptable, their behavior becomes more aggressive. That supports a connection between messages about acceptability and the behavior observed in the studies. It doesn't prove the games conveyed that message, but it makes the psychologist's proposed connection more plausible.
More Strengthen questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Strengthen questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.