Logical reasoning PrepTest 102 · Section 2 · Question 19

Incorrect. The stimulus notes that the play leads to developing neural connections "indispensable" for survival, and avoiding predators is definitely required for survival. As such, this type of play would lead to developing indispensable skills, and this answer is therefore supported.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Bizarro Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
All mammals:
(1) Most playful time is also time of most rapid brain growth
(2) This brain growth is "indispensable" for survival/well-being

Answer Anticipation:
First, let's talk about the question type. We're looking for four answers that are supported by the evidence to rule out, and one that is LEAST supported to select as the correct answer. In other words, we want to eliminate the answers that are most strongly supported by the stimulus and eliminate the answer that is least strongly supported. Hence Bizarro Must Be True. Note that it's important you don't view this as a Cannot Be True question, as the correct answer doesn't need to be contradicted by the stimulus, just not supported.

With that noted, we can see that this is essentially four Most Strongly Supported Must Be True questions stacked on top of each other. Those can be hard enough to anticipate when there's just one answer that's strongly supported, so we shouldn't spend time trying to anticipate all potential answer choices.

Instead, we should identify the statements that are likely to lead to supported answers—strong statements; comparisons; causality; conditional statements. We get a lead-in that the stimulus applies to "all" mammals, which is very broad. There's also a direct relationship between play and brain growth that could lead to a correct answer. And the stimulus ends with stating that this growth is "indispensable"—or absolutely necessary—for survival and well-being in these animals.

With those statements in mind, let's head to the answers and rule out the ones that are supported by them.

Answer Explanation:
The stimulus is about mammalian species, so this answer about nonmammalian species is completely out of scope and thus is unsupported by the stimulus. That makes it the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
These LEAST supported questions are rare, but they can be a little hard to categorize. The best way to look at them is to find the answer that doesn't have support in the stimulus. In this case, that meant finding an answer that was out of scope—the answer that mentioned nonmammalian species when the stimulus was about mammals.

Incorrect. The stimulus says that the play leads to neural connections that persist through the animal's adulthood. As such, there's support for the contention that engaging in such play would influence adult behavior, supporting this answer (slightly).

Incorrect. This answer ties in a lack of play as a child to a lack of success as an adult. Since the stimulus states that play leads to neurological development, and that development is "indispensable" to survival/well-being as an adult, this answer is supported. (It's probably the most supported answer choice yet.)

Incorrect. This answer is the flipside of (A)—that was about playing as the prey avoiding the predator; this answer is about playing as the predator finding the prey. Finding prey is essential to certain mammals' survival, so this answer has as much support as (A) and is thus a wrong answer in this Bizarro question.