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In an experiment, researchers posed simple questions in geometry to children from varied backgrounds. One group consisted of 7-to-13-year-old children of the Mundurucu, an isolated indigenous group in the Amazon basin. The Mundurucu children, who had no formal training in geometry, answered the questions just as quickly and accurately as did French chidlren of the same ages who did have formal training in geometry. In contrast, 5-year-old North American children had much more trouble answering the questions. The researchers concluded that some basic geometric knowledge is innate, but this innate knowledge typically develops only after age 5.
In the table, select the statement that would, if true, most strengthen the researchers' conclusion and most weaken it, respectively. Make only two selections, one in each column.
North American children 7 to 13 years old had much more trouble answering the questions than did the Mundurucu of the same ages.
None of the 5-year-old North American children had ever studied any geometry.
Mundurucu children who were 5 years old had just as much trouble answering the questions as did the 5-year-old North American children.
The researchers posed the same questions to 5-year-old French and Mundurucu children as they posed to the 7-to-13-year-old children.
Most of the children studied answered one or more of the questions incorrectly.
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| "researchers posed simple questions in geometry to children from varied backgrounds" |
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| "7-to-13-year-old children of the Mundurucu, an isolated indigenous group...had no formal training in geometry" |
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| "answered...just as quickly and accurately as did French children...who did have formal training" |
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| "5-year-old North American children had much more trouble" |
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| "some basic geometric knowledge is innate, but...typically develops only after age 5" |
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To strengthen the conclusion that geometric knowledge is innate and develops after age 5, we'd want:
To weaken the conclusion, we'd want:
Choice A: "North American children 7 to 13 years old had much more trouble answering the questions than did the Mundurucu of the same ages."
Choice B: "None of the 5-year-old North American children had ever studied any geometry."
Choice C: "Mundurucu children who were 5 years old had just as much trouble answering the questions as did the 5-year-old North American children."
Choice D: "The researchers posed the same questions to 5-year-old French and Mundurucu children as they posed to the 7-to-13-year-old children."
Choice E: "Most of the children studied answered one or more of the questions incorrectly."