Consider the Following Conditional Statements

question 53

Multiple Choice

Consider the following conditional statements:
(1) If there is a D on one side of the card,then there is a 3 on the other side.
(2) If you drink alcohol,then you must be over 21 years old.
Which of the following results would undermine Cosmides's (1984) belief that better performance in applying statements like (2) compared to (1) reflects a specially evolved cheater detection system?

• A)A study illustrating that the difference in processing sentences like (1)compared to sentences like (2)is especially large in socially adept people
• B)A study illustrating that participants understand statements like (2)well across a wide variety of social situations and always misunderstand such statements when they are nonsocial in nature
• C)A study illustrating that participants understand conditional statements any time they can be concretely conceptualized in a way that does not involve the if-then clause,even when the content is not social
• D)A study illustrating that after participants are trained in formal logic,the difference between their performance on sentences like (1)and (2)diminishes

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Definitions:

Monozygotic Twins

Twins who are genetically identical as they are formed from one fertilized egg that splits and develops into two embryos.

Natural Selection

A fundamental mechanism of evolution, whereby individuals with characteristics suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Charles Darwin

A 19th-century naturalist known for his theory of evolution and natural selection as mechanisms of speciation.

Fitness

Refers to the condition of being physically fit and healthy, often involving exercise and nutrition.