Ethologist: In social marine mammals, juvenile play behavior occurs almost exclusively when individuals feel secure. Researchers recently observed that a captive group of juvenile dolphins engaged in complex acrobatic play sequences only during periods when ambient noise from nearby harbor construction dropped below 55 decibels. We can conclude, therefore, that maintaining ambient underwater noise below 55 decibels is sufficient to guarantee that these dolphins will engage in acrobatic play.
The ethologist's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it does which one of the following?
- Arejects the possibility that underwater noise levels above 55 decibels could cause permanent acoustic impairment in captive marine mammals
- Bpresumes, without providing justification, that harbor construction constitutes the primary source of distress for the dolphins observed
- treats a condition that is required for a particular behavior to occur as one that is sufficient to guarantee its occurrenceAnswer
- Dgeneralizes about all social marine mammals on the basis of an unrepresentative sample of captive dolphins
- Econfuses an intermediate conclusion regarding the animals' security with the ultimate conclusion about their play behavior
Answer
The argument's reasoning is flawed because it treats a condition that is necessary for the occurrence of acrobatic play as if it were sufficient to ensure that the behavior will occur.
The argument establishes that ambient noise dropping below 55 decibels was a required circumstance ('only during periods when') for acrobatic play to occur. From this observation, the author concludes that establishing this condition will guarantee ('is sufficient to guarantee') that play will occur. This is a classic conditional reversal error, mistaking a necessary condition for a sufficient one.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Conditional Reversal (Mistaking a Necessary Condition for a Sufficient Condition)
Estimated Time:1m 30s