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Difficulty: MediumPart-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

For years, ornithologists believed that food caching among corvids was a purely instinctual behavior driven by seasonal scarcity. However, a study by Nicola Clayton challenged this view by observing Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) that had previously stolen food from others. Clayton observed that these experienced thieves, when being watched by another jay, would later return to re-cache their food in secret, whereas jays without a history of thievery did not alter their caching habits. This finding suggests that jays project their own past behaviors onto others, attributing potential thievish intent to onlookers. Consequently, the research offers compelling evidence for a primitive form of 'theory of mind' in non-human animals, suggesting that cognitive empathy may not be unique to primates.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

  1. A
    It illustrates the general instinctual behavior shared by all corvids during periods of seasonal food scarcity.
  2. B
    It outlines the primary scientific theory that Clayton's study ultimately seeks to disprove.
  3. It details the specific scientific finding that serves as the basis for the explanation of corvid cognition that follows.Answer
  4. D
    It proposes a method for modifying the social behavior of scrub-jays in order to decrease instances of food theft.

Answer

The correct answer details the specific scientific finding that serves as the basis for the explanation of corvid cognition that follows.
The underlined sentence presents the key empirical finding from Clayton's study: that only jays with past stealing experience alter their caching behavior when watched. The subsequent sentence uses this finding to suggest that jays project their own experience onto others, which leads to the final claim that they may possess a form of 'theory of mind'. Thus, the underlined sentence provides the factual basis for the cognitive explanation that follows.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the role of the underlined sentence in the sequence of the passage.
The sentence presents Clayton's observation that experienced thief-jays re-cache food in secret when watched, while other jays do not.
This establishes the empirical data point of the experiment.
2
Determine how this sentence relates to the sentences that follow it.
The next sentence explains that this finding suggests jays project their own behaviors onto others, which leads to the final conclusion about theory of mind.
Understanding the relationship between the data and the conclusion reveals the rhetorical function of the sentence as evidence supporting a subsequent claim.

Key Concept

Part-to-Whole Rhetorical Function
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Topics

Part-to-Whole Rhetorical Function

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