ACT Preparation / Unit 21 ACT 2012 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Which Finding Would Weaken It?
The idea
A weaken question is answered in three steps. First, state the claim and its prediction. Second, imagine what result would be impossible, or at least surprising, if the claim were true. Third, choose the finding that matches that result, checking that it concerns the same conditions the claim describes.
In practice
Worked example: the invented cliff-nesting claim predicts ground nesting where predators are absent. A finding that the species nests on cliffs even on predator-free islands weakens the claim, because the supposed reason is gone and the behavior remains. A finding about a different bird species does not weaken it, because the claim is about this one.
Where people slip
Weakening is not the same as disproving. One contrary finding raises doubt, and the claim may survive if the finding is explained another way.
Your place on the trail
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Builds on
Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
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