Most people believe that yawning is most powerfully triggered by seeing someone else yawn. This belief about yawning ...

Mehran December 2, 2016

@Valerie the conclusion here is the last sentence:

"Thus, seeing someone else yawn must be the most irresistible cause of yawning."

The support provided for this conclusion?

"Most people believe that yawning is most powerfully triggered by seeing someone else yawn."

"This belief about yawning is widespread not only today, but also has been commonplace in many parts of the world in the past, if we are to believe historians of popular culture."

So the author is concluding that something must be the case because most people believe that it is, not only today but also in many parts of the world in the past.

But what actually causes yawning is not something that should be proven based solely on what the majority of people think.

(D) points out this fallacy, i.e. "It supports its conclusion by appealing solely to opinion in a matter that is largely factual."

So (D) is the correct answer.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Samantha-Alexis June 8, 2019

I narrowed my answer choices down to A and D. I understand how answer D is correct, but why is answer A wrong or incorrect?

Victoria June 8, 2019

Hi @Samantha-Alexis,

The passage concludes that seeing someone else yawn must be the most irresistible cause of yawning. The evidence used to support this conclusion is that most people believe that seeing someone else yawn must be the most irresistible cause of yawning and that this belief has been pervasive across time and geographical space.

Answer choice A says that the passage attempts to support its conclusion solely by restating that conclusion in other words. The passage does not simply restate its conclusion in other words; rather, it tries to support its conclusion based solely on a widespread, opinion-based belief. Answer choice A would be correct if the passage had said something along the lines of: yawning is irresistibly caused by seeing someone else yawn. Therefore, seeing someone else yawn must be the most irresistible cause of yawning.

Hope this is helpful! Please let us know if you have any further questions.

dannyod February 23, 2020

Following up on this thread, can we please get an explanation for why E is incorrect? Thanks

Victoria March 2, 2020

Hi @dannyod,

Answer choice (E) is incorrect because the passage does not take this fact for granted.

Note the passage states that most people believe yawning is "most powerfully triggered" by seeing someone else yawn. This doesn't mean that there are no other causes of yawning, just that seeing someone else yawn is the most irresistible.

Hope this is helpful! Please let us know if you have any further questions.