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Bunuel
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I think this is neither a strengthening nor a weakening question. I think the question asks for a study that will help EVALUATE the anthropologist's hypothesis.
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An anthropologist studying the social function of human skin has stated that tattoos are an ancient form of body art. Tattoos, she argues, function as a mode of self-identification; the placement and design of images communicate ideas of central importance to those who bear them. She hypothesizes that the resurgence of tattooing in Western cultures over the last 10-15 years is due to increased desire to express individuality in an environment in which other personal decorations, including clothing and jewelry, are mass-produced.

Which of the following research studies, if completed, would be most likely to provide evidence directly relating to the anthropologist’s hypothesis?


A. A study examining the attitudes in several Western cultures toward mass-produced clothing and jewelry.
B. A study that systematically interviews people with tattoos less than 15 years old to discover their reasons for tattooing.
C. A study surveying the work of other anthropologists on tattooing as a mode of self-identification.
D. A study of the most common designs for tattoos over the last 10-15 years that could determine correlations between popular images and culture.
E. A study comparing ancient and modern designs for tattoos that could reveal the way shifts in images reflect shifts in culture.


Situation: An anthropologist believes that tattoos in Western cultures are used to express individuality.

Reasoning: Which of the following is most likely to yield evidence about why people get tattoos? The anthropologist believes that tattoos are, and have been from ancient times, a mode of self identification. Her theory about why tattoos have once again become popular in the last 10-15 years seeks to discover why people have returned to tattoos as a form of self-expression. In order to efficiently uncover the motivations for getting tattoos, the anthropologist should conduct interviews.
  1. This study would yield information about attitudes toward mass-production, but it may or may not have anything to do with tattooing.
  2. In order to prove that Western people get tattoos because of a desire to express individuality, the anthropologist’s study must examine motivations. These motivations can be uncovered through interviews.
  3. A study of other anthropologists’ work may or may not yield information about motivations for tattooing in the last 10-15 years.
  4. This study would yield no information about the motivations behind tattooing.
  5. This study would reveal nothing about why people in the last 10-15 years would want tattoos.

Answer: B

===============================================================================

IMHO, the answer could be (C) as well.

The anthropologist's hypothesis clearly states that Tattoos, she argues, function as a mode of self-identification; the placement and design of images communicate ideas of central importance to those who bear them. The next part of the argument states that she conducted her study on western civilization and offers her findings to the matter at hand.

OPTION C actually talks about studies related to "surveying the work of other anthropologists on tattooing as a mode of self-identification."
Maybe the other anthropologists have provided the same hypothesis but with a different cultural sample.

This could help the anthropologist to strengthen her hypothesis.
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Interesting question.

I went for option C. because I understood option B in a wrong way: that "less than 15 years old" was referring back to "people with tattoos", and not "tattoos" itself. So I thought that this population (very young people) wouldn't lead to a conclusion strong enough to support the hypothesis.

Is this type of ambiguity common in OG questions or question could be made more clear?­

PS: RIP SC :please:
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I think this is a poor-quality question and I agree with explanation. interviews people with tattoos less than 15 years old to discover their reasons.

Ambiguous : can be misinterpreted as people with tattoos who are younger than 15 years. (physical age not tattoo age)
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I think this is a poor-quality question and I agree with explanation. interviews people with tattoos less than 15 years old to discover their reasons.

Ambiguous : can be misinterpreted as people with tattoos who are younger than 15 years. (physical age not tattoo age)
­

I agree - reading this question, I aslo assumed this was interviewing teenagers. Thank you for the pointer. I have modified it to be much clearer.­

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