Most mental health disorders and cases of drug abuse tend to diminish

Question

Most mental health disorders and cases of drug abuse tend to diminish a person’s ability to recognize other people’s feelings. A recent study in Norway suggests, however, that these effects can be bolstered by a nasal spray puff of the brain hormone oxytocin, which is known to increase feelings of calm and social bonding. Although oxytocin is already prescribed for certain disorders that affect social function, such as autism, these treatments are often tried in isolated cases, leaving the overall effects of the drug without evaluation.

The Norwegian experiment focused on 40 students, each of whom was given either a control dose of salt water or the drug oxytocin. After the nasal dose, the students were shown faces of happy, angry, or neutral expressions, some of which were subtler than others. The researchers found that after a nasal spray dose of oxytocin, the students’ awareness of the expressions was intensified. Further, the experiment showed that the oxytocin had the greatest effect on those who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control dose.

Although the results of this study seem promising, Leknes, the lead scientist in the investigation, cautions that the hormone would not be a “cure-all” for mental illness or drug addiction. Rather, he suggests, the hormone might help some individuals better interpret the social cues from the world around them.
    1  
 1. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements about the brain hormone oxytocin?

(A) Its overall effects require further evaluation.
(B) In the future, it will be used to cure mental illness and drug addiction.
(C) It is not useful for people who are already able to interpret social cues.
(D) Its effects on the brain are unknown.
(E) It is more effective when dosed via nasal spray than orally.

2  
 2. The passage lends the most support to which of the following conclusions about the nasal spray study of oxytocin?

(A) The results of the study are inconclusive because a sample set of 40 students is not substantial.
(B) The nasal spray of oxytocin increased feelings of calm and social bonding for the students.
(C) Many students were unable to recognize the expressions shown to them when given only the control dose of salt water.
(D) The students who might need oxytocin most are the ones who appear most responsive to the hormone.
(E) The subtler the expression, the more difficult it was for the students to identify.

3  
 3. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage regarding the Norwegian study on oxytocin?

(A) The study showed that oxytocin made students more able to distinguish faces from one another.
(B) Leknes was the lead scientist in the investigation.
(C) A control dose of salt water was used to gauge normal student ability to recognize facial expressions.
(D) Students who participated in the study were shown happy, angry, or neutral expressions.
(E) Oxytocin had the greatest effect on students who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control dose.

kiendt · Answer

1. A – “leaving the overall effects of the drug without evaluation”
2. D – “oxytocin had the greatest effect on those who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control”
3. A - the students were more able to distinguish expressions, not faces.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage regarding the Norwegian study on oxytocin?

Explanation

The experiment was related to students’ ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions, not their ability to tell faces apart. Therefore,  (A)  is the correct answer.

Choice (B)  is mentioned in the first sentence of the  last paragraph  of the passage.

Choice (C)  is addressed throughout the second paragraph, first when it is stated that  “a control dose of salt water”  was given, and then when awareness after exposure to oxytocin is compared to awareness after the controlled salt water dose.

Choice (D)  is explicitly stated in the second sentence of the  second paragraph.

Finally,  choice (E)  is explicitly addressed in the last sentence of the  second paragraph.

Answer: A

Hope it helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The passage lends the most support to which of the following conclusions about the nasal spray study of oxytocin?

Explanation

The  second paragraph  states that  “the experiment showed that the oxytocin had the greatest affect on those who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control.”  Thus, it can be inferred that those with the least ability to naturally infer emotions, in other words, the ones who might need it most, reaped the greatest benefits of the hormone. This matches  choice (D) .

Additionally,  (A)  is incorrect as the passage does not discuss inconclusiveness based on sample size.

Choice (B)  is incorrect as it incorrectly pairs the known effects of the hormone in the brain with the results of the student study.

Choice (C)  is incorrect as the passage does not address the ability of the students to recognize expressions, just the relative change between the controlled salt water dose and the oxytocin.

Finally,  choice (E)  is incorrect for a similar reason: the passage does not state that the subtler the expression the more difficult it was for students to identify, just that some expressions that were used were subtler than others.

Answer: D

Hope it helps

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements about the brain hormone oxytocin?

Explanation

The  first paragraph  of the passage states that oxytocin treatments are often tried in isolated cases and the overall effects are without evaluation. The passage then describes a small study that seems promising but makes no definitive claims. Therefore, it is likely that the author would agree that the effects of oxytocin require further evaluation, supporting  choice (A).

Answer  choice (B)  is incorrect as the passage states the opposite, namely that oxytocin is not a  “cure-all.”  Although the author focuses on the effects of oxytocin for those who are not able to interpret social cues, answer  choice (C)  is incorrect as the author does not state that the drug would not be useful for those who can already do so. The author specifically addresses  choice (D)  in the passage, stating that the hormone oxytocin increases feelings of calm and social bonding.

Finally, answer  choice (E)  is incorrect, as the author never addresses oxytocin as an oral treatment.

Answer: A

abhishektyga · Answer

In Q3 option C mentions normal students but it was nowhere mentioned in the RC.
So shouldn't C be the answer instead of A?

(C) A control dose of salt water was used to gauge normal student ability to recognize facial expressions.

bM22 · Answer

Hi  abhishektyga ,

Option C can be inferred from the lines: "The Norwegian experiment focused on 40 students, each of whom was given either a control dose of salt water or the drug oxytocin. After the nasal dose, the students were shown faces of happy, angry, or neutral expressions, some of which were subtler than others."

The OE for Question 3 can be referred be here:  https://gmatclub.com/forum/most-mental-health-disorders-and-cases-of-drug-abuse-tend-to-diminish-310647.html#p2452901

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

dhruva09 · Answer

Sajjad1994 , I believe the last sentence in para 2 is missing the word dose at the end.
 Further, the experiment showed that the oxytocin had the greatest effect on those who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control  dose .

Bunuel · Answer

_______________
Fixed. Thank you!

agrasan · Answer

Hi  KarishmaB   MartyMurray

2. The passage lends the most support to which of the following conclusions about the nasal spray study of oxytocin?

(A) The results of the study are inconclusive because a sample set of 40 students is not substantial.
(B) The nasal spray of oxytocin increased feelings of calm and social bonding for the students.
(C) Many students were unable to recognize the expressions shown to them when given only the control dose of salt water.
(D) The students who might need oxytocin most are the ones who appear most responsive to the hormone.
(E) The subtler the expression, the more difficult it was for the students to identify.

I am stuck on this question, could you please help me understand how to eliminate (C)? I chose it because of the line in second para:    "Further, the experiment showed that the oxytocin had the greatest effect on those who were  least able to  evaluate emotions properly when given the control dose."    Is it wrong because of the word  "many"  and we don't know anything about the quantity here?

guddo · Answer

2. The passage lends the most support to which of the following conclusions about the nasal spray study of oxytocin?

The passage says the study found that oxytocin improved students’ awareness of facial expressions, and that the effect was strongest in those who were least able to evaluate emotions correctly under the control condition.  The key point  is that  the people who seemed to need the help most benefited the most .

(A) The results of the study are inconclusive because a sample set of 40 students is not substantial.

The passage does not say this. It says the results seem promising, though the lead scientist warns that oxytocin is not a cure-all.

(B) The nasal spray of oxytocin increased feelings of calm and social bonding for the students.

The passage says oxytocin is known to increase calm and social bonding in general, but this study did not report that as a finding about these students. It focused on awareness of facial expressions.

(C) Many students were unable to recognize the expressions shown to them when given only the control dose of salt water.

This is too strong. The passage says some students were less able to evaluate emotions properly under the control dose, but it does not say many were unable to recognize the expressions.

(D) The students who might need oxytocin most are the ones who appear most responsive to the hormone.

This is best supported. The passage says oxytocin had the greatest effect on those who were least able to evaluate emotions properly when given the control dose.

(E) The subtler the expression, the more difficult it was for the students to identify.

The passage mentions that some expressions were subtler, but it does not state this conclusion.

Answer: (D)

Most mental health disorders and cases of drug abuse tend to diminish

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Most mental health disorders and cases of drug abuse tend to diminish

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