Suppose You Learn That Two Children, a 10-Year Boy and a 10-Year

question 137

Multiple Choice

Suppose you learn that two children, a 10-year boy and a 10-year old girl, have brains of quite different sizes, with the boy's brain being about 40% larger than that girl's brain. Which of the following conclusions would be the best to draw from this data?

• A) The girl most likely has something wrong with her brain, because it should be at least 10% larger than the boy's brain.
• B) The girl's brain most likely has something wrong with it, because it should be very close to the same size as the boy's brain at this age.
• C) The girl most likely was malnourished in early childhood, giving rise to a smaller-than-average brain.
• D) There is no reason for concern, since children's brain sizes can vary by as much as 50% without any appreciable difference in cognitive skills.