Maxine believes that ingesting the experimental drug theratonin increases aggressive behavior by making aggressive thoughts highly accessible.Sam believes that ingesting theratonin increases aggressive behavior by (1)making aggressive thoughts highly accessible and (2)making people worry less about the consequences of their behavior.If we knew that theratonin does increase aggressive behavior but knew nothing else,which theory should we prefer?
A)Maxine's theory - because it is more testable than Sam's theory
B)Maxine's theory - because it is more parsimonious than Sam's theory
C)Sam's theory - because it is more testable than Maxine's theory
D)Sam's theory - because it is more parsimonious than Maxine's theory

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maxine's theory is preferred because it is more parsimonious, meaning it is simpler and makes fewer assumptions than Sam's theory, which posits two mechanisms for the increase in aggressive behavior.

Maxine Believes That Ingesting the Experimental Drug Theratonin Increases Aggressive