HOT Competition 28 Aug/8PM: A bedrock assumption in theories that expl

Question

A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behaviour is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies. Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies. The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end.

The investigators’ reasoning above is flawed because it

The investigators’ reasoning above is flawed because it

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief.

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time.

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared.

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends.

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy.

Jks3000 · Accepted Answer

The best way to tackle CR is to pre-think the answer. Logic is most important!!

Pre-thinking : We need to find the flaw in the investigators’ reasoning. The investigator is saying that first people endure the terror and at the end the have euphoric sense of relief. That means author assume that people can only feel one emotion at a time i.e First they feel afraid and then they feel happy. But if people can be happy and afraid at the same time then the argument will fall apart. That means if people say that they are happy to be afraid then investigators’ reasoning will fall apart.

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief.  -- Wrong. This is investigators’ reasoning. We need to find flaw in it.

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time.  -- Correct. In line with pre-thinking.

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared.  -- This does not affect the argument.

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends.  -- Wrong. This is investigators’ reasoning. We need to find flaw in it.

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy.  -- Wrong. This is what we argue. Not the investigator.

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Bunuel · Answer

GMATWhiz Explanation

Step 1 – Analysing the stimulus and question stem

A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behaviour is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. 
 • There are theories that explain and predict human behaviour
• The basic assumption behind these theories is that people are motivated to look for pleasure and stay away from pain.

However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies. 
 • But this assumption does not seem to work in cases where
 o People deliberately go for experiences that will produce neagative emotions
  Watching horror movies for example
 Inference: Horror movies eveoke negative emotions.

Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies. The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end.
 • People looking to explain such cases use either of the two explanations why people like horror movies
 o People watching horror movies are actually not scared but excited
o People accept the horror experience so that they can enjoy the relief when the horror/movie is over.

Step 2 – Pre-thinking

1. The two explanations that the invetigators offer are
 a. No actual negative emotion experienced while watching a horror movie.
b. First neagtive emotion is experienced and then positive emotion is experienced.

2. Narrow Vision
 a. A flaw can occur because the author has not taken into consideration all the possibilities surrounding a given scenario. Or in other words, the author has a narrow outlook and has failed to look at the complete scenario.
b. The flaw here could be that the investigators are looking at only one emotion taking place at a time. It is also possible that when watching a horror movie the person experiences negative as well as positive emotions. The person might be happy in being unhappy.

Step 3 – Answer Choice Elimination

Option A Analysis 
The flaw is not that the investigators are only considering two emotions (excitement and relief). The flaw is that the investigators are considering only one emotion at a time. This choice is out of scope.
Incorrect Choice.

Option B Analysis 
This choice is in line with our pre-thinking.
 Correct Choice.

Option C Analysis 
This choice again takes up only one emotion at a time. Happy instead of scared. This is a third explanation and is clearly out of scope.
Incorrect Choice.

Option D Analysis 
This choice outlines the investigators’ second explanation. This is not the flaw but the essence of the explanation. Thus, this is a distortion of the given explanation.
Incorrect Choice.

Option E Analysis 
This choice says the investigators argue “that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy”. Well, this is exactly what the investigators do NOT argue. This choice states the opposite of the data given in the passage,
Incorrect Choice.

mSKR · Answer

1st view: excited by movie
2nd explanation: willing to endure terror to enjoy sense of relief at end

>> we are not concerned about other feelings except mentioned in the argument

>>in argument it is mentioned that both would be separate, why can't be together?

both the feelings are separte: +ve and -ve 
We can't say : one is another. 
we need to find out why author says have 2 feelings : without relation with each other . but in fact both can occur at same time

>> it mentions in the end of argument that they would endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end. But this doesn’t matter our argument and explantion

There is no argument about their state of money to be assume happy as unhappy but ignores the possibility that people endure terror may actually give them euphoric sense of relief. Which is option c

Saupayan · Answer

First of all, nothing is stated about protective frame of mind, so this answer choice is very likely out of scope. (But, in assumption questions, we can bring in external info and this option is about "presumes", so let's read on). They do not feel anything other than horror or relief => this is not presumed. They may experience other feelings too, but the reason they watch horror movies may be because they enjoy these two feelings the most. Also, in the 2nd theory, the investigators allow for the possibility of "terror" (which is different from excitement or relief). So, this is not the right answer.

This is an assumption made by the investigators. Their first theory is, people are NOT AFRAID (not negative) BUT EXCITED (positive) : so negative and positive doesn't happen together. Their 2nd theory is: People first experience TERROR (negative) and then relief (positive) -> again they don't happen together. What if people are actually terrified and excited at the same time? Or, they are afraid and excited at the same time? They investigators theories don't allow for these possibilities. So, B is a possible answer.

This is not a possibility, because the premise in the passage states the following: "However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies." Unless we are saying "happy" is a "negative feeling", this isn't a possibility at all. So no question of ignoring it.

They don't ingore this. In fact their 2nd theory directly states people are relieved (positive affects) when the movie ends, after being terrified (negative feelings) during the movie

They never argue this.

Answer: B

prateekchugh · Answer

A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behaviour is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies. Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies. The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end.

The investigators’ reasoning above is flawed because it

Premise 1: A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behaviour is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain.

Ok their is theory that people either choose pleasure or pain
 
Premise 2: However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies.

But, this is opposite: People enjoy fear. People voluntarily paid to see the horror movie. This seems counterintuitive. hmmm.... "Why do people pay for this?" and "How is this enjoyable?"

Premise 3: Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies. The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end.

Explain two theories: person is not feared but happy and want to enjoy fear to be happy.

Assumption: They forgot to think that, the most pleasant moments of a particular event may also be the most fearful. Therefore, both the theories assume that people cannot experience negative and positive emotions simultaneously.

The investigators’ reasoning above is flawed because it

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief.   This is investigated in their theory that people can feel either one happy or sadness but they forgot to assume that both can happen simultaneously.

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time.   Correct Answer. This is our assumption. The author forgot to assume that positive and negative feeling can happen at the same time.

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared.   Fact test: it does not ignore the possibility, people might be scared or might be happy. Incorrect answer

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends.   Again, only one feeling is consider. negative or positive. If positive feeling end, negative feeling come. They have use this in their theories but they did not assume that both can come at the same time.

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy.   They consider this, they shown this in their investigation theories. Incorrect answer.

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EatMyDosa · Answer

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief.

Investigators’ do not presume this – as per their 2nd theory investigators acknowledge that people willingly endure terror when they watch a horror movie. So, this statement goes directly against the information mentioned in the passage. REJECT

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time.

As per both the two theories, investigators believe that when people watch a horror movie, they are either excited (per first theory) or they experience terror followed by euphoria (per second theory). Clearly, investigator seem to discard the possibility of people experiencing both negative and positive emotions at the same time. CORRECT

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared.

Investigators do not ignore this possibility. In fact, they acknowledge it in both of their theories. So, this statement goes directly against the information mentioned in the passage. REJECT

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends.

Investigators do not ignore this possibility. In fact, they acknowledge it explicitly in their second theory. So, this statement goes directly against the information mentioned in the passage. REJECT

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy.

Investigators do not argue at all along these lines, let alone arguing correctly or incorrectly. On the contrary, they argue that people are either happy or unhappy when they watch a horror movie. REJECT

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Crytiocanalyst · Answer

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief.
THis is just restating the same thing from the passage therefore out

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time.
This definitely points out to the fact that examining only a particular set of factors isn't favourable therefore out

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared.
Happiness during the movie cannot happen during a horror movie therefore out

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends.
THis is discussed towards the end of passage therefore out

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy.
Viewers choice cannot be predicted and the above mentioned might happen therefore out

Therefore IMO B

Raman109 · Answer

Understanding the argument - 
A bedrock assumption in theories that explain and predict human behaviour is people's motivation to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. - Fact 
However, this belief cannot be reconciled with the decision to engage in experiences known to elicit negative feelings, such as horror movies. - Conclusion. 
Investigators generally use one of two theories to explain why people like horror movies. - Premise
The first is that the person is not actually afraid, but excited by the movie. The second explanation is that they are willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end. - Premise

Option Elimination - Flaw

A. Presumes that when people are embedded in a protective frame of mind, such as when watching horror movies, they actually do not feel anything other than excitement or relief. - The scope of our argument is limited to excitement or relief. Other feelings are out of scope.

B. Labours under the assumption that people are incapable of experiencing positive and negative emotions at the same time. - Yes. The investigators assume that people experience one feeling at a time. Either excitement only (positive) or enduring terror (negative) and then relief (positive). What if they experience complex emotions, such as positive and negative, at the same time? What if they are watching a suspenseful scene that gives them enjoyment/positive feelings while they also experience terror/negative feelings? Yes, that's the flaw.

C. Ignores the possibility that people watching horror movies might actually be happy rather than scared. - "Happiness can encompass a sense of overall well-being, contentment, and fulfillment beyond the momentary excitement of a specific activity." While the investigator talks about excitement, which can be a result of a thrilling experience leading to a rise in adrenaline, happiness is a broader concept that is not discussed in either of the explanations given by the investigators. So, this qualifies as a third explanation, which is not the scope of what we are trying to do here. Our scope is limited to finding the flaw in the investigator's reasoning (2 reasons they have given) and not coming up with a third reason. Moreover, this still talks about one emotion at a time. Out of scope.

D. Ignores the possibility that negative feelings can also evoke positive affects when that feeling ends. - No, it doesn't ignore. This is what the second explanation explained. Distortion.

E. Incorrectly argues that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy. - "Happy to be unhappy" means they experience two emotions at the same time. And this option says that the investigators incorrectly argue that they can't have 2 feelings at the same time. But this is exactly what the investigators did not argue. So if they even did not argue something, then how can they be correct or incorrect about it? Opposite of what is stated in the passage.

HOT Competition 28 Aug/8PM: A bedrock assumption in theories that expl

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

HOT Competition 28 Aug/8PM: A bedrock assumption in theories that expl

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