In 1960’s studies of rats, scientists found that crowding increases the number of attacks among the animals significantly. But in recent experiments in which rhesus monkeys were placed in crowded conditions, it was not such attacks that increased significantly, but rather instances of "coping" behavior, such as submissive gestures, avoidance of dominant individuals, and huddling with relatives. Therefore the evidence from rhesus monkeys makes it doubtful that crowding significantly increases aggressive impulses in primates.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Correct answer marked below

The rhesus monkeys is the species of monkey that is more prone to fighting

Coping behavior was adopted by the crowded monkeys to forestall acts of aggression among them

Correct

All the observed forms of coping behavior can be found among rhesus monkeys living in uncrowded conditions

Some individual monkeys in the experiment were involved in more attacks than the others

Some of the rhesus monkeys in the experiment were subjected to levels of crowding that are unlikely to occur in natural circumstances.

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What this question tests

Whether you can identify the option that most undermines an argument's conclusion.

Choosing an irrelevant objection or one that attacks the premise rather than the reasoning.