CAT Critical Reasoning Practice question with Solution 20

Most humans are right-handed, but what about animals? Are animals equally likely to have a preference for their left limbs as their right limbs? Certain studies say that animals will be equally likely to be “right-handed” as “left-handed,” but the author disagrees. In support, the author notes that dogs often “shake hands” with their right paw. OK, so what? Suppose, as (E) suggests, that dogs are influenced by their masters in learning to perform tricks like “shaking hands.” In that case, we would expect that since most masters (presumably humans) are right-handed, most dogs would be taught to perform tricks in a “right-pawed” manner. So if (E) is true, it isn’t the dogs that are showing a preference for their right limbs at all. Rather, dogs that “shake hands” with their right paws are merely reflecting the preferences of their masters.

(A) and (D) are out of the scope. We’re asked to explain why the “shaking hands” evidence does not weaken the claim that animals will be equally likely to favor their right limbs as opposed to their left limbs. Answer choices (A) and (D) completely ignore the curious findings regarding “shaking hands,” and so cannot help in a defense against this supposed counterexample. Choices (A) and (D) do provide some evidence that dogs show no preference for their right limbs in other respects, which might help counter the claim that dogs have a tendency to be “right-handed” in all respects, but that’s the subject of another question.

(B) The evidence is unrepresentative, but not for the reason in (B). There’s no grounds for being especially suspicious of “front-paw-only” behavior.

(C) implies that dogs are exempt from the kinds of societal pressures and inconveniences facing left-handed humans. Inferably, then, dogs aren’t pressured in any way to shake hands with their right paw—they simply do so naturally. Thus, if anything, (C) strengthens the validity of the counterexample by ruling out an alternative explanation for the dogs’ noted behavior. (Notice how this differs from correct choice (E), which provides an alternative explanation for why dogs usually “