Brain imaging studies have identified neural correlates of lying—patterns of brain activity associated with deception. However, these patterns overlap substantially with brain activity during other cognitively demanding tasks like mental calculation. Courts have generally rejected brain-scan lie detection as evidence, citing concerns about reliability of individual assessments despite group-level findings.
It can be inferred from the text that
brain scans can definitively determine whether an individual is lying
lying requires no cognitive effort
courts completely ignore all scientific evidence
findings that apply to groups may not reliably apply to individuals
Correct Answer: D
Choice D is the best answer. Group patterns exist but individual reliability is questioned.
- Context clues: Courts cite "reliability of individual assessments despite group-level findings."
- Meaning: What's true on average may not be accurate for any specific person.
- Verify: The overlap with other tasks makes individual identification unreliable.
💡 Strategy: When group findings don't translate to individual applications, infer the group-to-individual gap.
Choice A is incorrect because courts rejected it due to reliability concerns. Choice B is incorrect because deception overlaps with "cognitively demanding tasks." Choice C is incorrect because rejection is based on specific reliability concerns, not blanket dismissal.