Practice question · Put in order
Arrange these kinds of evidence from the strongest to the weakest for showing that a region is NECESSARY for language.
- Correlation between the region's size and language ability
- A lasting deficit after damage to the region
- Activation of the region during a language task
- A temporary deficit under direct stimulation
Hints
- Necessity means the function fails without it.
- Activation shows engagement, which is a weaker claim than requirement.
Show the answer
- A lasting deficit after damage to the region
- A temporary deficit under direct stimulation
- Activation of the region during a language task
- Correlation between the region's size and language ability
Why
Only the first two show that removing or disrupting the region breaks the function. Activation shows a region participates, which is much weaker, a region can light up during a task without being required for it, and a size correlation is weaker again. Confusing engagement with necessity is the most common misreading of imaging results.
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