Studies of brain lateralization in animals have purported to

I think E is the correct answer.
con: this finding is suspect. (finding= whereas most human beings are right-handed, about half of any given group of animals will be “left-handed” (i.e., showing a preference for their left limbs) and half will be “right-handed.”)
premise: it has long been noted that dogs will almost always “shake hands” with the right paw.
counter premise: Studies of brain lateralization in animals have purported to show that, whereas most human beings are right-handed, about half of any given group of animals will be “left-handed” (i.e., showing a preference for their left limbs) and half will be “right-handed.”
analysis: it is assumed that dogs almost always shake hands with the right paw because they are right- handed. however if we show that their shaking hands is what they've learned from right handed human beings instead of relating to their brain lateralization, then we defend the argument against the counter example of dogs.


Question stem: Which one of the following, if true, is the strongest defense against the counterexample of dogs that “shake hands”?

(A) Dogs are observed to scratch themselves with the left leg as well as with the right leg. the arguments talks about dogs' shaking hands not leg!

(B) People who observe dogs “shaking hands” are observing a behavior that dogs perform only with a front paw. the argument is discussing about left or right!

(C) Left-handed people sometimes feel inconvenienced or even stigmatized in a “right-handed world,” but dogs face no analogous difficulties. feeling convenience or uncomfortable does not justify the reaction of dogs' shaking hands habit.

(D) Dogs that have lost a limb are able to compensate for the loss, regardless of whether the limb was lost from the right or left side. out

(E) In learning to perform tricks, dogs are influenced by the behavior of their trainers. the correct ans
if we show that what we observe from dogs shake hands is a learned habit from right handed human beings instead of being left or right handed it means we reject the counter example of dogs.

Good Explaination E it is.

I marked Option D) and then I realized that I marked D) because I misinterpreted the argument. The Conclusion is "50% of the animals are left handed and 50% of animals are right handed". Both Option A) and D) are indicating that dogs are ambidextrous (Can use both left and right hand) and doesn't strengthen the argument.

Nice question.

Studies of brain lateralization in animals have purported to show that, whereas most human beings are right-handed, about half of any given group of animals will be “left-handed” (i.e., showing a preference for their left limbs) and half will be “right-handed.” This finding is suspect, however; it has long been noted that dogs will almost always “shake hands” with the right paw.

dogs show a preference for shaking with the right paw --> finding that mammal handedness is 50/50 is suspect

Which one of the following, if true, is the strongest defense against the counterexample of dogs that “shake hands”?

(A) Dogs are observed to scratch themselves with the left leg as well as with the right leg. -- Still does not address why dogs almost always shake hands with right paw

(B) People who observe dogs “shaking hands” are observing a behavior that dogs perform only with a front paw. -- Still does not address why dogs almost always shake hands with right paw

(C) Left-handed people sometimes feel inconvenienced or even stigmatized in a “right-handed world,” but dogs face no analogous difficulties. -- Irrelevant

(D) Dogs that have lost a limb are able to compensate for the loss, regardless of whether the limb was lost from the right or left side. -- Still does not address why dogs almost always shake hands with right paw

(E) In learning to perform tricks, dogs are influenced by the behavior of their trainers. --gives us a defense of the counterexample because we're told in the stimulus that most human beings are right handed so that explains why dogs almost always shake with their right hands -- it's because they are influenced by their right handed trainers and not because they have a natural preference for their right hand.

(A) Dogs are observed to scratch themselves with the left leg as well as with the right leg.
Shows that dogs use BOTH left and right hands but doesn't weaken the fact that they use ONLY left hand and not the right one.

(B) People who observe dogs “shaking hands” are observing a behavior that dogs perform only with a front paw.
out of scope

(C) Left-handed people sometimes feel inconvenienced or even stigmatized in a “right-handed world,” but dogs face no analogous difficulties.
doesnt explain why 1/2 of the animals use left hand

(D) Dogs that have lost a limb are able to compensate for the loss, regardless of whether the limb was lost from the right or left side.
Not talking just the dogs that have lost a limb, we are talking about dogs in general

(E) In learning to perform tricks, dogs are influenced by the behavior of their trainers.
Matches my pre-thenking, that the dogs do what their owner does, so mimic the behavior but is not usually right handed, is left handed CORRECT

(A) Dogs are observed to scratch themselves with the left leg as well as with the right leg.
Shows that dogs use BOTH left and right hands but doesn't weaken the fact that they use ONLY left hand and not the right one.

(B) People who observe dogs “shaking hands” are observing a behavior that dogs perform only with a front paw.
out of scope

(C) Left-handed people sometimes feel inconvenienced or even stigmatized in a “right-handed world,” but dogs face no analogous difficulties.
doesnt explain why 1/2 of the animals use left hand

(D) Dogs that have lost a limb are able to compensate for the loss, regardless of whether the limb was lost from the right or left side.
Not talking just the dogs that have lost a limb, we are talking about dogs in general

(E) In learning to perform tricks, dogs are influenced by the behavior of their trainers.
Matches my pre-thenking, that the dogs do what their owner does, so mimic the behavior but is not usually right handed, is left handed CORRECT

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