In a study, participants were shown an image of a face with a neutral

Question

In a study, participants were shown an image of a face with a neutral expression. Those participants in whom a momentary smile was induced by means of artificial stimulation of their facial muscles were found to be more likely than the others to perceive the image of the face to have a happy expression. These results demonstrate that depressed people can cause their perceptions of things around them to become more positive by choosing to smile regularly.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. The experience of having smiles regularly induced by means of artificial stimulation would not cause people to have negative perceptions of things around them.

B. People who are physically unable to smile are more likely to experience depression than other people.

C. At least some of the psychological effects of an actively chosen smile are similar to those of an involuntary one.

D. Psychotherapy is not more effective in causing people’s perceptions to become more positive than smiling regularly would be.

E. It would help people to become less depressed for people around them to make a habit of having positive rather than neutral expressions on their faces.

Source:  Marty Murray Coaching

illegallyblonde · Answer

I selected A as my answer choice but upon reevaluation, I landed on the conclusion that the fact that  "The experience of having smiles regularly induced by means of artificial stimulation would not cause people to have negative perceptions of things around them."  does not mean that it would cause them to have positive perceptions of things. That there could be something between a positive and negative perception. Is my reasoning correct?

MartyMurray · Answer

Hi  helpmegmat .

I'm curious about something.

What does the following mean to you?

in whom a momentary smile was induced by means of artificial stimulation

illegallyblonde · Answer

Hi Marty,

I took that to mean a smile that results from external intervention or artificial means.

Posted from my mobile device

MartyMurray · Answer

OK, perfect. I wanted to make sure the sentence was clear enough.

Now, let's talk about choice (A).

The issue is not that there is  something between positive and negative perception. After all, if it were the case that an aspect of regulary doing what the author suggests would cause people to have negative perceptions, then the argument would not work. The author is indeed assuming that taking the suggested course of action will not cause people to have negative perceptions.

At the same time, there is still a reason why (A) is not correct. Here's what it is.

The conclusion is that people can make their impressions more positive by "smiling regularly."

"Smiling regularly" is not creating "a smile that results from external intervention or artificial means." It involves actively smiling in a natural way.

So, the author doesn't have to assume anything about the effects of "the experience of having smiles regularly induced by means of artificial stimulation" because the conclusion is not about "smiles regularly induced by means of artificial stimulation." The  conclusion is about actively "smiliing regularly."

The conclusion is supported by information about smiles induced by means of artificial stimulation, but the conclusion itself is not about that.

So, (A) is not necessary for the argument to work.

illegallyblonde · Answer

Ahhh, I see. I think I'd assumed that smiling regularly was the same as smiling by means of artificial stimulation as in the study, haha. Thanks for the help

Anandanwar · Answer

Hello,

I have a query here.
Choice C says some of the effects of actively chosen smile are similar to those of an involuntary one.

The argument says the effect of actively induced smile can be better mood. 
But the argument never says that involuntary smile causes better mood. And in actuality better mood causes involuntary smile, not the other way around.
By this logic similarity of effects of actively induced smile and effects of involuntary smile does not have an effect on the argument.

So I rejected C.
Could you explain the problem with this reasoning?

Thanks and Regards,
Ankit

MartyMurray · Answer

Let's review what the passage says:

Those participants in whom a momentary  smile was induced by means of artificial stimulation of their facial muscles  were found to be more likely than the others to perceive the image of the face to have a happy expression.

Notice that the evidence presented in the argument involves "a smile .. induced by means of artificial stimulation of their facial muscles."

A smile induced by means of artificial stimulation would be an "involuntary smile."

So, the point of the evidence is that smiling involuntarily caused people to perceive an image in a more positive way.

Thus, the argument uses evidence involving involuntary smiles to support the conclusion that "depressed people can cause their perceptions of things around them to become more positive by choosing to smile," in other words, by smiling voluntarily.

Accordingly, the argument depends on the assumption that "At least some of the psychological effects of an actively chosen smile are similar to those of an involuntary one."

finisher009 · Answer

Steps

1. Read Argument & Find the Gap
• The argument claims: Because artificially induced smiling made people see things more positively, depressed people can change perceptions by choosing to smile regularly.
• Key shift: In the study, smiles were artificial/involuntary; in the conclusion, smiles are actively chosen/voluntary.
• Assumption needed: link between effects of artificial/involuntary and chosen/voluntary smile.

2. Evaluate Choices Using POE
• A: Side issue; doesn’t address the core comparison (artificial vs. chosen).
• B: Out of scope; physical ability not discussed.
• C: Directly bridges the experimental set-up (involuntary smile) and recommendation (voluntary smile).
• D: Compares psychotherapy vs. smiling—irrelevant.
• E: Related to effect on others, but that’s not the argument’s point.

Correct Answer: C

In a study, participants were shown an image of a face with a neutral

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In a study, participants were shown an image of a face with a neutral

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