Set 2: Command of Evidence (Intermediate)

Explanation

Answer: D

PASSAGE

The 'mere exposure effect' shows that people prefer familiar stimuli. A study found that students rated abstract shapes more positively after seeing them multiple times. Researchers suggest this has evolutionary roots: familiar things are safer than unknown ones.

Which finding would weaken the evolutionary explanation?

A. The effect is observed in infants as young as 3 months.

B. The effect only occurs with shapes, not with sounds or smells.

C. People who grew up in unpredictable environments do not show the effect.

D. The effect is seen in many different cultures.✓ Correct

Detailed Explanation

This question requires you to identify evidence that supports a claim. The evolutionary explanation is 'familiar = safer.' If people from unpredictable (potentially dangerous) environments don't show the effect, it suggests the mechanism isn't universal/innate evolutionary. The best evidence directly and explicitly supports the stated claim without requiring assumptions. Match specific textual details or data points to the claim being made. The correct answer provides clear, direct support. Strong evidence directly addresses the claim without requiring additional interpretation. When evaluating options, look for quotes or data that explicitly support the statement. Weak evidence may be tangentially related but doesn't provide direct proof.

Key Evidence:

• "familiar things are safer than unknown ones"

Why others are wrong: A (Early appearance would support, not weaken, evolutionary origins.), B (Modality limitations don't directly contradict evolutionary basis.), C (This option is incorrect.).

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