Last visit was: 28 Apr 2026, 20:28

It is currently 28 Apr 2026, 20:28

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Critical Reasoning (CR)

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Apr 28
Join - GMAT Day!
08:00 AM PDT
-
11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.

Back to Forum

Create Topic

A behavioral scientist hypothesized that the constant barrage of....

1 2

ajaygaur319

Joined: 05 May 2019

Last visit: 01 Jan 2021

Posts: 125

Own Kudos:

692

Given Kudos: 143

Location: India

Schools: NYU Tech MBA "21

Posts: 125

Kudos: 692

02 Mar 2020, 03:42

Kudos

Bookmarks

The answer suggested is C but I strongly feel that the answer should be A. No comment in the question seems to be justifying.

CrackverbalGMAT

Major Poster

Joined: 03 Oct 2013

Last visit: 28 Apr 2026

Posts: 4,846

Own Kudos:

9,188

[1]

Given Kudos: 226

Affiliations: CrackVerbal

Location: India

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 4,846

Kudos: 9,188

[1]

05 Mar 2020, 03:13

Kudos

Bookmarks

ajaygaur319

The answer suggested is C but I strongly feel that the answer should be A. No comment in the question seems to be justifying.

Hi Ajay

We are asked to identify that answer option which "...most seriously jeopardizes the scientist's hypothesis" ie; weakens the scientist's hypothesis.

The scientist's hypothesis is that "... the constant barrage of noise that surrounds modern humans leads to antisocial behavior" ie; anti-social behavior is caused by noise. Option (A) states the exact same thing. Therefore, if this were true, the scientist's hypothesis would be true and hence this is not a weakener.

Option (C) states that "On the seventh day, the loudspeaker took up so much space in the cage that the guinea pigs could not get near each other." This provides a possible alternative explanation (other than noise) for why the pigs stopped socializing after the seventh day and hence, if true, could be a potential weakener.

Hope this helps.

arya251294

Joined: 03 Jan 2019

Last visit: 16 Mar 2024

Posts: 184

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 368

GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V36 Verified score

Posts: 184

Kudos: 60

29 Mar 2021, 20:11

Kudos

Bookmarks

redskull1

A is the only option within scope..

Intense level of noise stopped them from socialising.Not that the noise caused anti social behavior (side effects).

What if they developed anti-social behaviour? This is exactly what argument says. May be they stopped socialising after the seventh day as by then they had already developed the anti-social behaviour because of the constant noise they went through. Therefore it is not weakening. Option C is perfectly telling us that it was not the noise that stopped them from socialising it was something else, in this case, loudspeaker itself.

Anush56

Joined: 21 Oct 2019

Last visit: 11 Aug 2021

Posts: 21

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 188

Posts: 21

Kudos: 4

26 Apr 2021, 22:13

Kudos

Bookmarks

kaplan How is the answer C , should it not be B

exuberantvivek

Joined: 24 Feb 2019

Last visit: 14 Jan 2025

Posts: 10

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 49

Posts: 10

Kudos: 3

11 Oct 2024, 00:28

Kudos

Bookmarks

This is confusing:
Scientist has placed the speaker beside the cage not inside the cage so how come speaker can occupy space inside the cage to stop pigs getting socialize.

Is my reasoning correct?

shreysigulati10

Joined: 05 Jun 2024

Last visit: 25 Nov 2024

Posts: 3

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 100

Location: India

Posts: 3

Kudos: 2

12 Oct 2024, 14:41

Kudos

Bookmarks

A just reinstates the premise described in the passage which says that noise leads to anti-social behaviour.
C on the other hand paints out immobility or the presence if speaker within the cage as a reason for anti -social behaviour and not the noise. Thus C is correct

redskull1

A is the only option within scope..

Intense level of noise stopped them from socialising.Not that the noise caused anti social behavior (side effects).

Meena4

Joined: 27 Sep 2024

Last visit: 13 Nov 2024

Posts: 2

Given Kudos: 1

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

13 Oct 2024, 20:16

Kudos

Bookmarks

rish2708

Why not c can be the answer. The premise says they stopped socialising after seven days. So it's probable that they are immobile and thus they do not socialise.
In a way, to put it in language of critical reasoning, the cause was something else(immobility) for the effect.(social behaviour)

Posted from my mobile device

Actually they didn’t even mention the speaker was inside the cage na , it is beside the cage, then how C

shivansh2501

Joined: 13 Dec 2024

Last visit: 02 Dec 2025

Posts: 6

Given Kudos: 24

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

02 Mar 2025, 23:02

Kudos

Bookmarks

Scientist's Hypothesis- Constant barrage of noise leads to antisocial behavior.

A. Shell Game- We are not concerned with the intensity of the noise, but it's constant barrage, so even if the guinea pigs stopped socializing due to the intense level of noise, there is still a possibility that they might socialize due to the constant barrage of noise. It is not a very convincing.

B. Strengthener- If the guinea pigs did not resume socializing when the noise source was removed, it is certain that the constant barrage of noise during the experiment is what led to their antisocial behavior.

C. Correct Answer and Weakener- It is stated that the guinea pigs stopped socializing after the seventh day, before the seventh day they were actually fine. So the reason that the speaker took up a lot of space is a clear weakener, every subsequent day after the seventh day, the speaker continued to take up a lot of space, and when it was removed the pigs started socializing again.

D. Strengthener- Prior to the experiment the pigs were fine, however after the constant barrage of noise in the experiment, the pigs became antisocial. This strengthens the argument.

E. Strengthener- Sound Pressure Level is inversely proportional to distance squared. Each subsequent day of the experiment we decreased the distance, leading to the sound pressure to increase, proving it was the constant barrage of noise that indeed led to the pigs's antisocial behavior.

It was a really good question, keep practicing and understanding, you will get the hang of it eventually!

CAMANISHPARMAR

A behavioral scientist hypothesized that the constant barrage of noise that surrounds modern humans leads to antisocial behavior. To test this hypothesis, he placed a loudspeaker beside the cage of a pair of guinea pigs and played white noise through it. He brought the loudspeaker closer to the animals each subsequent day of the experiment, thereby increasing the guinea pigs’ daily exposure of noise. The scientist observed that the guinea pigs stopped socializing with each other after the seventh day but resumed socializing normally when the loudspeaker was removed from the cage.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously jeopardizes the scientist's hypothesis?

A) During the experiment, the guinea pigs stopped socializing due to the intense level of the noise.
B) In a similar experiment conducted by another scientist, the guinea pigs did not resume socializing when the noise source was removed.
C) On the seventh day, the loudspeaker took up so much space in the cage that the guinea pigs could not get near each other.
D) Prior to the experiment, the guinea pigs used in the experiment socialized with each other normally.
E) The sound pressure level from a loudspeaker increases to the inverse square of the distance from the loudspeaker.

napolean92728

CAT Forum Moderator

Joined: 13 Oct 2024

Last visit: 09 Apr 2026

Posts: 278

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 233

Status:Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.

Posts: 278

Kudos: 94

10 Mar 2025, 02:59

Kudos

Bookmarks

Correct Answer: C) On the seventh day, the loudspeaker took up so much space in the cage that the guinea pigs could not get near each other.

Explanation:
The scientist's hypothesis states that constant noise exposure leads to antisocial behavior. However, if the guinea pigs stopped socializing because the loudspeaker physically prevented them from getting near each other, then their lack of socialization was due to spatial constraints rather than noise. This directly undermines the hypothesis, making C the strongest answer.

Reasons for Eliminating Other Options:
A) During the experiment, the guinea pigs stopped socializing due to the intense level of the noise.
Eliminated: This actually supports the hypothesis rather than weakening it. If the noise intensity caused the antisocial behavior, then the scientist’s claim remains valid.

B) In a similar experiment conducted by another scientist, the guinea pigs did not resume socializing when the noise source was removed.
Eliminated: While this might challenge the idea that noise exposure has only a temporary effect, it does not contradict the main hypothesis that noise causes antisocial behavior. The experiment's core finding remains intact.

D) Prior to the experiment, the guinea pigs used in the experiment socialized with each other normally.
Eliminated: This supports the validity of the experiment by confirming that the guinea pigs were social before the noise was introduced. It does not weaken the hypothesis.

E) The sound pressure level from a loudspeaker increases to the inverse square of the distance from the loudspeaker.
Eliminated: This is a technical detail about sound propagation but does not challenge the idea that noise could cause antisocial behavior.

HARSHITMAHESHWARI

Joined: 18 Feb 2025

Last visit: 18 Mar 2025

Posts: 6

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 40

Posts: 6

Kudos: 1

10 Mar 2025, 10:07

Kudos

Bookmarks

Option C can not be the answer since it is clearly mentioned that the speaker was placed BESIDE the cage and NOT INSIDE the cage, so it can not take any space in the cage, thus they can socialize regardless of the position of speaker.

CAMANISHPARMAR

ShrutiShivnani1

The answer is B since it proves that even after the speakers were removed they did not begin socializing again, so there must be some third cause for the guinea pigs to stop socializing in the 7 days the experiment was run

Can you explain why do you think that B is the correct answer?