Logical reasoning PrepTest 140 · Section 1 · Question 8

Incorrect. The experiment only looks at a single claim made about hypnosis—it helps with recall—so we can't generalize to "many" claims, even if a few are raised outside of the context of the experiment.

Incorrect. There's no indication that those who recalled the music they did listen to were wrong in their recall, or that that recall wasn't enhanced compared to normal recall. While the other group was clearly making things up, the first group may have demonstrated enhanced recall.

Incorrect. Similar to (B), only half of the people in the study are definitely recalling a false memory. The group that listened to music may have been remembering the actual music they listened to.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Hypothesis: Hypnosis can increase recall.
Study: Everyone listened to music. Half were asked about their memory of the music; the other half were asked about their memory of a movie (they hadn't watched one).
Outcome: Both groups were equally confident and detailed in their recollections.

Answer Anticipation:
The stimulus raises a hypothesis that was "illuminate[d]" by a recent study. That study showed that people under hypnosis recalled things that they experienced with detail and confidence . . . but they also recalled things that they didn't experience with detail and confidence. Each response was given in response to a targeted question ("Tell me about the music/film you just experienced."), not a general question about recall. Since the responses dealt with the things asked about—whether that thing existed or not—there's good evidence that the "recall" of those under hypnosis is not entirely accurate and may be influenced by the question asked (which is why some people recalled a movie they were asked about but didn't watch).

Answer Explanation:
The stimulus gives an example of a group that remembered something not because it happened, but because they were asked about it. This establishes that, at least to a certain extent, suggestion can affect memory for those under hypnosis.

Key Takeaway:
Compare (D) to (B) and (C) here. The stimulus was about one study, and it featured two groups that were different in a key way (being asked about something they experienced or not). Broad and strong conclusions about all people—as made by (B) and (C)—are very hard to support based on a single study. (D), on the other hand, is very weak—"to at least some extent"—and thus can be supported by a single study since it only requires a few examples of it being true to establish.

Incorrect. Since the people who recalled the movie didn't actually see a movie, it can't be claimed that visual memory was at play here.