Common sense suggests that we know our own thoughts directly, but that we infer the thoughts of other people. βββ ββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ
Standard assumption Β·We know our own thoughts directly
Elaborate on analogy Β·Expertise makes us think we see relationships directly, when we're really just making very quick inferences
Example: chess experts' ability to "see" whether a position is weak or strong. Experts make inferences so fast they don't notice they're making them. And we are experts in our own thinking, so we don't notice our own inferences.
Mistaken implication of psychologists' perspective Β·Might seem that psychologists are saying we infer our own thoughts based on observations of our own behavior
The phrase "perilously close" indicates the author thinks that it would be dangerous for someone to think we infer thoughts based on our own behavior.
Clarification Β·Psychologists say we infer thoughts based on internal feelings and emotions
So, we're not making inferences based on seeing our own external behavior.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Single position
Analysis by Kevin_Lin
9.
Which one of the following, ββ βββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββββββββββ
Question Type
WSE
In the experiment, the children misdescribed their own thoughts regarding simple phenomena, even though they correctly described the phenomena. The psychologistsβ interpretation of these results is that children are less capable of identifying their own thoughts. To question their interpretation, letβs look for an alternate explanation for why the children misdescribed their own thoughts. (This isnβt the only way to undermine the psychologistsβ hypothesis, but itβs the most common way to question someoneβs interpretation of an experiment.)
a
Some children who ββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ
Even if some children were as good as adults in identifying their own thoughts, we still know that, in general, βin certain circumstances, young children tend to misdescribe their own thoughts.β Pointing out a few exceptions doesnβt change the overall results, which we still need to explain. Also, the psychologistsβ view isnβt that every single young child will be worse than adults at identifying their own thoughts. So (A) doesnβt provide counterevidence to the psychologistsβ view.
The experiment concerns young children, so itβs not clear how the fact older children can identify their own thoughts more accurately has any impact. (B) doesnβt suggest another explanation for why young children misdescribe their own thoughts.
c
The limited language ββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββ βββββββββ
This provides an alternate explanation for why the children misdescribed their own thoughts. Perhaps the children simply werenβt able to communicate their thoughts, even if they accurately identified those thoughts. The misdescription could result from poor language skills rather than from failure to identify oneβs own thoughts.
d
Most young children ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββββ
Childrenβs personal knowledge of the difference between direct and indirect access is irrelevant, because the psychologistsβ interpretation isnβt dependent on their understanding of this difference. The psychologists think young children misdescribe their thoughts because they fail to identify their thoughts accurately. One can fail to identify oneβs own thoughts without being aware of the concept of direct and indirect access to thoughts.
This doesnβt undermine the authorβs interpretation, because we still know from the experiments that young children misdescribe their own thoughts in some circumstances. We still observed these results, and these observed results do not depend on the original purpose of the experiments.
Difficulty
83% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%138
146
75%154
Analysis
WSE
WSE
Weaken, Strengthen, or Evaluate questions that appear in RC and operate along the same principles as their LR counterparts.
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Passages that focus on describing or evaluating potential explanations for a given phenomenon. Causal reasoning features prominently in these passages.
Science
Science
Passages with subject matter centered on science (biology, physics, chemistry, etc.)
Single position
Single position
Passages that develop one perspective on the central topic.
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
8%
152
b
3%
156
c
83%
162
d
3%
150
e
3%
153
Question history
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