Self-study
In all mammalian species, the period of a young mammal's life in which it is most frequently playful coincides with the period of most rapid growth of the neural connections in the mammal's brain that give rise to various complex patterns of movement, posture, and social response. ███████ ███ ██████ ███████████ ███████ ██ ████████ ████ ██████ ████ ██████ █████ ██████ █████████████ ███ ███ ████████ ████████ ███ ██████████ ██ ██ ██████
Summary
We are discussing ALL mammalian species and how play is related to their brain development. At the time a young mammal is most playful, it is also growing brain connections related to movement, posture, and social response at the fastest speed. These brain connections created by play become essential for success as an adult.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Play is good for mammals’ brain development and their success as adults.
Young mammals’ play is somewhat related to the movement, posture, and social response necessary for survival and well-being as an adult.
Any given mammal species (such as a bear or a human) has a relationship between play, neural development, and adult success and well being.
(Note: these are possible wrong answers - we’re looking for the answer choice that is LEAST supported - so it won’t be on the strong side of the support spectrum.
19.
The statements above, if true, █████ █████ ████ ██ ████████ ███ █████ ███ ██ ███ ██████████
a
Young mammals of ███████ ████ ███ ██████ ██ ██ █████ ███████ ███ ██████ ██ ██████ ██ █████ ██ ██████ ████ ███████ ███████ ████ ████ █████████ █████ ██ █████████ ███ ██ ██ ██████
Strongly supported: We know play creates neural connections important for survival as an adult. Running from predators would be an important survival skill for these species. This play would strengthen their survival skills, and therefore, it fits the description in the stimulus.
b
The young of ████████████ ███████ ████ ██ █████ █████████ ███ █████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ███████ ████████ ████ ██████ ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██ █████ ████████
Unsupported: The information in the stimulus does not allow conclusions about nonmammalian species. There is no information about this group to conclude about what they do.
c
Adult mammals are ████ ██████ ██ ██████ ██ ███████████ ████ ████ █████ █████ ██ ████ ███████ ██ ███████ █████ ██ ████ ████ ████ ██████████ ████ ██████
Strongly supported: The idea in the stimulus is that play strengthens skills by building neural connections. Mammals who played early in life would develop neural connections that would strengthen their ability to play with their young - a skill related to well-being.
d
Mammals that cannot ██████ ██ ███████ ██████ █████ ██ ████ ████ █████ ███ ██████ ██ ████ ███████ ████████ ████ █████ █████ ██████████ ███████ ██ ███████
Strongly supported: We know the neural connections are indispensable / necessary for success. If mammals don’t develop them through play, then they are likely to be limited as adults.
e
Young mammals of █████████ ███████ ████ ██ ████████ ██ █████ ████ ███████████ ████████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████ ████ ███ ██████ ██ ███████ ███ ████████ ████ ████ █████ ███████ ██████ ███████
Strongly supported: Like answer choice A, this shows a group building skills through play that will be necessary as adults. They would build the neural connections involved in hunting, which would be important as adults to find and catch food.