Question
S1: It is well documented that people of above average intelligence, as measured by traditional intelligence (IQ) tests, often think and act irrationally. S2: Cognitive psychologists have been puzzled by this peculiar phenomenon because it had long been dogma in psychology that there should be a positive correlation between a person’s IQ and his or her ability to think and act rationally. S3: Recently, Keith Stanovich, professor of applied psychology, has proposed an explanation for this phenomenon. S4: He argues that IQ tests miss some of the most important aspects of how people make decisions in the real world, and that it is possible to test high in intelligence yet suffer from a cognitive defect called “dysrationalia,” which he describes as the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence.
S5: Research in cognitive psychology points to two reasons for dysrationalia, the first of which is a processing issue related to the structure of the human brain, which has available to it a number of different mechanisms by which to make decisions. S6: Some of these mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally, but people often tend to avoid using these “higher-fidelity” mechanisms because using them not only requires significant concentration and energy expenditure but also interferes with other cognitive processes, causing people to feel uncomfortable. S7: As a result, people often opt instead to use processing mechanisms that are significantly more comfortable to employ and that require far less processing power yet are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally; using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making. S8: In fact, psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor have coined the term “cognitive miser” to describe a person who uses the cognitive path of least resistance in processing information and thus often makes poor decisions.
S9: The second source of dysrationalia, explains Stanovich, is an issue involving content. S10: In order to think and act rationally, he says, people must possess specific knowledge — rules, data, procedures, strategies, and other tools of cognition that cognitive scientist David Perkins calls “mindware.” S11: When people are missing the mindware necessary for making rational decisions or solving problems appropriately, there exists a mindware gap. S12: According to this view, the larger a person’s mindware gap, the more apt the person is to suffer from dysrationalia. S13: For example, a person without training in statistics will struggle to think and act rationally when faced with even basic decisions that require an understanding of probability.
In can be inferred that the author mentions “significant concentration and energy expenditure” in order to
support the assertion that some brain mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally
explain why people are apt to think and act rationally when they use higher-fidelity mechanisms
provide evidence in support of the theory that people of adequate intelligence can think rationally by learning to maintain focus
identify a key characteristic of the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms that causes people to opt to use them
present a reason for people’s choosing to use processing mechanisms that are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally
Question
S1: It is well documented that people of above average intelligence, as measured by traditional intelligence (IQ) tests, often think and act irrationally. S2: Cognitive psychologists have been puzzled by this peculiar phenomenon because it had long been dogma in psychology that there should be a positive correlation between a person’s IQ and his or her ability to think and act rationally. S3: Recently, Keith Stanovich, professor of applied psychology, has proposed an explanation for this phenomenon. S4: He argues that IQ tests miss some of the most important aspects of how people make decisions in the real world, and that it is possible to test high in intelligence yet suffer from a cognitive defect called “dysrationalia,” which he describes as the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence.
S5: Research in cognitive psychology points to two reasons for dysrationalia, the first of which is a processing issue related to the structure of the human brain, which has available to it a number of different mechanisms by which to make decisions. S6: Some of these mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally, but people often tend to avoid using these “higher-fidelity” mechanisms because using them not only requires significant concentration and energy expenditure but also interferes with other cognitive processes, causing people to feel uncomfortable. S7: As a result, people often opt instead to use processing mechanisms that are significantly more comfortable to employ and that require far less processing power yet are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally; using these “lower-fidelity” mechanisms is not optimal for decision-making. S8: In fact, psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelly Taylor have coined the term “cognitive miser” to describe a person who uses the cognitive path of least resistance in processing information and thus often makes poor decisions.
S9: The second source of dysrationalia, explains Stanovich, is an issue involving content. S10: In order to think and act rationally, he says, people must possess specific knowledge — rules, data, procedures, strategies, and other tools of cognition that cognitive scientist David Perkins calls “mindware.” S11: When people are missing the mindware necessary for making rational decisions or solving problems appropriately, there exists a mindware gap. S12: According to this view, the larger a person’s mindware gap, the more apt the person is to suffer from dysrationalia. S13: For example, a person without training in statistics will struggle to think and act rationally when faced with even basic decisions that require an understanding of probability.
In can be inferred that the author mentions “significant concentration and energy expenditure” in order to
support the assertion that some brain mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally
explain why people are apt to think and act rationally when they use higher-fidelity mechanisms
provide evidence in support of the theory that people of adequate intelligence can think rationally by learning to maintain focus
identify a key characteristic of the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms that causes people to opt to use them
present a reason for people’s choosing to use processing mechanisms that are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally
Text Solution:
To answer this question, we first read the entire sentence in which “significant concentration and energy expenditure” appears, S6, which is the following:
Some of these mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally, but people often tend to avoid using these “higher-fidelity” mechanisms because using them not only requires significant concentration and energy expenditure but also interferes with other cognitive processes, causing people to feel uncomfortable.
In reading S6, we see that the point of mentioning “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is to explain why people “avoid using these ‘higher-fidelity’ mechanisms” that have the characteristic that, “in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally.”
Also, we can reread the sentence that precedes S6 to get more context. In doing so, we see that the Look Around marker “these mechanisms” in S6 refers to “a number of different mechanisms” by which the human brain can make decisions mentioned in S5.
So, the point of mentioning “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is to explain why people don’t use the “higher-fidelity” brain mechanisms that process information in a way that results in rational thinking and acting.
(A) support the assertion that some brain mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally
“The assertion that some brain mechanisms process information in a way such that, in using them, people are apt to think and act rationally” appears earlier in the sentence in which “significant concentration and energy expenditure” appears. However, this choice gets the relationship between the two wrong.
As we discussed in the introduction to this explanation, the purpose of mentioning “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is to explain why people avoid using the mechanisms mentioned earlier in the same sentence, not to support the assertion about the mechanisms mentioned in this choice.
(B) explain why people are apt to think and act rationally when they use higher-fidelity mechanisms
Trap: Half-Right / Wrong-Thing
This choice starts off correctly since, as we discussed in the introduction to this explanation, the purpose of mentioning “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is to explain why people do something.
However, this choice goes wrong partway through since the point of mentioning “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is to explain why “people often tend to avoid using these ‘higher-fidelity’ mechanisms,” not to explain why “people are apt to think and act rationally when they use higher-fidelity mechanisms.”
(C) provide evidence in support of the theory that people of adequate intelligence can think rationally by learning to maintain focus
Scanning the sentences around the sentence in which the specified piece of the passage appears, we see that the passage simply does not mention “the theory that people of adequate intelligence can think rationally by learning to maintain focus.” So, this choice cannot be correct.
(D) identify a key characteristic of the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms that causes people to opt to use them
Trap: Half-Right / Opposite
This choice starts off correctly since the fact that the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms requires “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is a “key characteristic of the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms.”
However, this choice goes wrong partway through because, as we discussed in the introduction to this explanation, the fact that the use of higher-fidelity mechanisms requires “significant concentration and energy expenditure” is a reason why people “avoid” using higher-fidelity mechanisms, not a reason why people “opt to use them.”
So, this choice is a great example of why reading choices in their entirety is a key aspect of RC success.
CORRECT ANSWER(E) present a reason for people’s choosing to use processing mechanisms that are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally
To evaluate this choice, we have to determine the relationship between “significant concentration and energy expenditure” and “people’s choosing to use processing mechanisms that are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally.”
We find in S7 “As a result, people often opt instead to use processing mechanisms that are … not well suited for thinking and acting rationally.”
The causation marker “as a result” indicates that what S7 says is a result of what S6 says. Accordingly, “people often opt instead to use processing mechanisms that are … not well suited for thinking and acting rationally” is a result of “people often tend to avoid using these ‘higher-fidelity’ mechanisms because using them … requires significant concentration and energy expenditure.”
Notice that, by explaining why “people often tend to avoid using these ‘higher-fidelity’ mechanisms,” “significant concentration and energy expenditure” presents “a reason for people’s choosing to use processing mechanisms that are not well suited for thinking and acting rationally.”
So, this choice accurately describes why the author mentions “significant concentration and energy expenditure.”
