Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Scientists noticed that newborn monkeys only copy the specific faces that adult monkeys make at them, while ignoring other types of movements.

Reasoning: Infant macaques mimic specific facial expressions (lip smacking and tongue protrusion) that adults use to interact with them, but they ignore other gestures like hand movements.

Analysis: The facts show a striking correlation: the only actions the babies imitated were the ones adults actually use to communicate with them. This suggests that even at a week old, macaques are socially attuned to specific communicative cues rather than just being general mimics. We should look for an answer choice that draws a connection between the babies' selective imitation and the social significance of those specific gestures.

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8.

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?

Correct Answer
E
The data show that, of the four tested actions, infants imitated the two that adult macaques use with babies and did not imitate the two that adults do not use. So, within the studied gestures, they only imitate human gestures also used by adult macaques.
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