Suppose you learn that two children, a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, have brains of quite different sizes, with the boy's brain being about 40% larger than the girl's brain. Which of the following conclusions would be the best to draw from this data?
A) The girl most likely has something wrong with her brain, because it should be at least 10% larger than the boy's brain.
B) The girl's brain most likely has something wrong with it, because it should be very close to the same size as the boy's brain at this age.
C) The girl most likely was malnourished in early childhood, giving rise to a smaller-than-average brain.
D) There is no reason for concern, since children's brain sizes can vary by as much as 50% without any appreciable difference in cognitive skills.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While there is a measurable difference in brain size between the two children, this is not necessarily cause for concern. There is a wide range of variation in brain size among individuals, and a 40% difference is not outside the normal range. Additionally, brain size alone is not a reliable indicator of cognitive ability or overall brain function. Therefore, there is no reason to draw any negative conclusions about the girl's brain based on this data.

Suppose You Learn That Two Children, a 10-Year-Old Boy and a 10-Year-Old