Which of the following is a research shortcoming mentioned in the passage that is not addressed in the information provided about Sommer’s study?

Members of many primate species approach an opponent shortly after conflict and initiate behaviors such as embracing, grooming, or huddling―a phenomenon researchers call postconflict reconciliation. Existing research, however, suffers from several shortcomings. The variability between groups of the same species is rarely addressed; the majority of studies investigate only a small fraction of the pairings that exist in a given group; and almost all reports are restricted to animals in captivity.

In an attempt to address some of these shortcomings, Sommer et al. recently conducted a study of postconflict reconciliation in wild Hanuman langurs, a species of colobine monkey. They observed rates of postconflict reconciliation much lower than would be expected based on previous research, and found that over 80 percent of all pairings exhibited no postconflict affinity whatsoever. The rarity of friendly postconflict reunion in wild langurs draws attention to the possibility that conflicts are modulated through avoidance. The option of temporarily avoiding contact with opponents is not easily available to captive primates, and certainly not to the extent present in the wild. Still, studies of postconflict behavior of primates in captivity remain valuable: above all, they demonstrate the flexibility of nonhuman primates in various environments. It is likely, however, that the reported frequency of reconciliation among primates is artificially inflated by the conditions of captivity.

Which of the following is a research shortcoming mentioned in the passage that is not addressed in the information provided about Sommer’s study?
A . lnadequate attention to the variability in postconflict behavior between groups of the same species
B . Inadequate attention to the differences between various forms of postconflict behavior
C . Inadequate attention to differences between species of colobine monkeys in postconflict behavior
D . The restriction of most research to primates in captivity
E . The study of primate groups in which only a small number of pairings took place

View Answer

Answer: A