Passage Summary: We have feelings about real words, but we also have feelings about made-up words; because made-up words don't mean anything, it must be the sound of the words that we're reacting to.

Conclusion: People's reactions to words are influenced by the way the words sound, not just what they mean.

Reasoning: Since nonsense words have no meaning but still elicit positive or negative emotional responses, those responses must be coming from the sound.

Analysis: The claim about nonsense words acts as a premise that provides a 'control' for the author's experiment. By using words without meaning, the author can isolate 'sound' as the independent variable causing the emotional response. This is a classic structural role where a specific finding is used to support a broader generalization. When looking at the answer choices, identify this as a premise that supports the main conclusion by ruling out an alternative explanation (meaning).