PT140.S4.P3.Q14

PrepTest 140 - Section 4 - Passage 3 - Question 14

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P1

In certain fields of human endeavor, such as music, chess, and some athletic activities, the performance of the best practitioners is so outstanding, so superior even to the performance of other highly experienced individuals in the field, that some people believe some notion of innate talent must be invoked to account for this highest level of performance. ███

Phenomenon / OP Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by innate talent
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Evidence for OP Hypothesis · Heritability of traits; inborn traits like motor coordination, reflex speed, etc.
P2

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Critique · Not much systematic research
Existing estimates of heritability based on general population, not exceptional performers.
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Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by acquired complex skills and physiological adaptations
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Evidence for Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance is localized to the particular domain
For example, Michael Jordan's adventures in baseball. Chess players have exceptional memories but only for typical configurations of chess pieces.
P3

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Evidence · Supporting acquired trait hypothesis and countering innate ability hypothesis
Most exceptional adults were not exceptional children; they trained early; skills like memory and ability to process information acquired; most traits (e.g. aerobic capacity and percentage of muscle fibers) can be altered by training.
P4

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Conclusion · Evidence does not support innate ability hypothesis
Because extended intense training along with a common level of talent can explain the difference in performance.
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Implications · Motivation as better predictor of superior performance
Because sustained training depends on level of interest, hence motivational factors are better predictors of superior performance than innate talent.
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Show answer
14.

Which one of the following ████ ██████████ ██████ ███ ████ █████ ██ ███ ████████

a

Researchers have recently █████ ████ ████ ██████ ███████ █████████ █ ██████████ ██████ ██ ████████ ███████████████ ███ ████████████ ████████ ███ ██ ███████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████████

Not supported, because the author never suggests that motivational factors can be changed through training and practice. She merely states that they are more likely than unusual early talent to be a predictor of superior performance. Since (A) is not supported, it cannot be the main point. Also, (A) doesn’t capture the author’s view that exceptional performance can be explained by intense training and does not requires exceptional talent.

3%
b

Recent research into ███ ███████ ██ ████████ ███████████ █████ ████████ ████ ██ ███████ ██████ ███ ████ █████ ██████ ██ █████████ ██████ ███ ███████ ███████████ ██████ ██ ███████████ ████ █████████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████████

Not supported, because the author does not suggest that “anyone” can achieve exceptional performance. Although exceptional talent is not required, someone may still need at least the talent that a reasonably competent performer would have. Since (B) is not supported, it cannot be the main point.

16%
c

Contrary to previously ████████ ████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██ ██████████ ███████████ ████ ███ █████ ████ ██████ ███████████████ ███ ██████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██ ███████████ █████ ██████████ █████████████ ██ ███████ ██████ ██ █████████

Not supported, because the author does not suggest that innate characteristics are “irrelevant” to differences in performance. Although exceptional talent is not required, someone may still need at least the talent that a reasonably competent performer would have. Since (C) is not supported, it cannot be the main point.

5%
d

Recent research involving ████████ ██████████ ██ ███████ ██████ █████████ ████ ███████████ ███████████ ███ ██████ ████ ███████████ ███ ██ ████████ ██████ ████ ████ ██████ ████████

This best captures the author’s main point, which is expressed in P2 and P4. The author presents research showing that exceptional performance likely does not require exceptional talent.

66%
e

Psychologists who previously ██████████ █████ █████████ ███████████ ██ ████ ██████████ ██ █████ ███ █████ ██ ██████ ██████ ████ ███████ █████ ████████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ███ █████████████ ██ ████████ ███ █████████

Not supported, because we don’t know that any particular group of psychologists have changed their theories in light of new evidence. The author brings up new evidence to show that some psychologists’ views are not correct. But whether those psychologists have changed their own views isn’t discussed. Since (E) is not supported, it can’t be the main point.

9%

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