Vyshak wrote:
In 1960’s studies of rats, scientists found that crowding increases the number of attacks among the animals significantly. But in recent experiments in which rhesus monkeys were placed in crowded conditions, it was not such attacks that increased significantly, but rather instances of "coping" behavior, such as submissive gestures, avoidance of dominant individuals, and huddling with relatives. Therefore the evidence from rhesus monkeys makes it doubtful that crowding significantly increases aggressive impulses in primates.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. The rhesus monkeys is the species of monkey that is more prone to fighting
B. Coping behavior was adopted by the crowded monkeys to forestall acts of aggression among them
C. All the observed forms of coping behavior can be found among rhesus monkeys living in uncrowded conditions
D. Some individual monkeys in the experiment were involved in more attacks than the others
E. Some of the rhesus monkeys in the experiment were subjected to levels of crowding that are unlikely to occur in natural circumstances.
Conclusion ->
"The evidence from rhesus monkeys makes it doubtful that crowding significantly increases aggressive impulses in primates"C. All the observed forms of coping behavior can be found among rhesus monkeys living in uncrowded conditions
It states that the coping behaviour is observed in the normal conditions as well. This means that the crowding had no impact on the behaviour of the monkeys.
So this option indeed strengthens the argument by implying that the crowding does not increase the aggressive impulses.
B. Coping behavior was adopted by the crowded monkeys to forestall acts of aggression among them.
This option implies that there is indeed a possibility of aggression and the monkeys had to alter their behaviour inorder to forestall such effect.
I have a different POV.
C says that even in uncrowded condition, the monkeys are same. Hence it can be concluded that it their NATURE which is making them cope in all types of conditions. There is no information about rats but it may be the case that rats by nature were aggressive(in all environment).
B says that the coping behaviour in crowding(which has made them learn to cope) has made monkeys able to control aggressive impulses. Hence, it is actually strengthening.
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