Psychiatrist: We are learning that neurochemical imbalances can cause behavior ranging from extreme mental illness to less serious but irritating behavior such as obsessive fantasizing, petulance, or embarrassment. These findings will promote compassion and tolerance when looking at a mental illness, quirk, or mere difference between two persons, since being mentally healthy can now begin to be seen as simply having the same neurochemical balances as most people.
Summarize Argument
The psychiatrist predicts that recent findings about the neurochemical causes of behavioral issues will result in a more compassionate, tolerant view of things like mental illness and behavioral differences. Why the kinder view? Because people can start to view the idea of “mental health” as really just a certain neurochemical balance that happens to be more common.
Identify Conclusion
The psychiatrist’s conclusion is his prediction: “These findings [about neurochemical balances being a cause of mental illness and other issues] will promote compassion and tolerance when looking at a mental illness, quirk, or mere difference between two persons.”
A
Understanding the role of the neurochemical in behavior will foster empathy toward others.
This paraphrases the psychiatrist’s conclusion: knowledge about how neurochemical imbalances affect behavior will “promote compassion and tolerance” or “foster empathy” toward those with mental health or behavioral issues.
B
Neurochemical imbalances can cause mental illness and other behaviors.
The psychiatrist uses this fact as context. His conclusion is that this fact will produce a certain effect: it will promote compassion and tolerance toward those with mental health or behavioral issues.
C
Neurochemical balances and imbalances are the main determinants of mental behavior.
The psychiatrist never suggests what the main determinant of mental behavior is. He merely states that neurochemical balances and imbalances are one potential determinant.
D
Being mentally healthy is a matter of having the same neurochemical balances as most people.
The psychiatrist states that mental health can be viewed this way, but this forms his premise, not his conclusion. The fact that mental health can be seen in this light leads him to conclude that people will become more tolerant of mental health and behavioral issues.
E
Advances in neurochemistry enhance our theories of mental illness.
The psychiatrist doesn’t reach any conclusions about theories of mental illness. He presents findings about a possible cause of mental illness, and concludes that those findings will affect people’s attitudes.
A
The welfare state will not work.
B
The welfare state unfairly asks those who work hard to help those in greater need.
C
The assumption that human beings are unselfish is false.
D
The interests of the less fortunate impinge on the interests of others.
E
The welfare state relies on the generosity of wage earners.
2:39 - Correction
In the video I labeled "no significant aspect can be controlled by a single variable" as the conclusion. An attentive 7Sager pointed out that it's actually the sub-conclusion. It's supported by an appeal to authority premise "any professional meteorologist will tell you that". The main conclusion is "I disagree."
Restructured, the Meteorologist's argument starts with an appeal to authority, supporting a general sub-conclusion, supporting a specific sub-conclusion.
A
Many impulsive adults are not unusually sensitive to dopamine.
B
It is not possible to reliably distinguish impulsive behavior from other behavior.
C
Children are often described by adults as engaging in thrill-seeking behavior simply because they act impulsively.
D
Many people exhibit behavioral tendencies as adults that they did not exhibit as children.
E
The gene variant studied by the scientist is correlated with other types of behavior in addition to thrill-seeking behavior.