Question

what logical evidence do levitt and dubner present in response to the counterclaim that a 7 - 7 wrestler might be more motivated to win and therefore perform better? in the next match, 7 - 7 wrestlers results drop below their predicted percentage. the 7 - 7 wrestlers do well against both 8 - 6 and 9 - 5 opponents. wrestling matches only last a few seconds and are won by a quick exertion of force. wrestlers from the same stable do not oppose one another. this evidence suggests that wrestlers are exhausted after upset victories and lose the following match. might make deals so one wins one match and the other wins the next. typically get a lucky win when they have a record of 7 - 7. do not do as well when they are expected to win as when they are expected to lose.

Explanation:

The evidence that in the next match, 7 - 7 wrestlers' results drop below their predicted percentage is used to counter the claim that 7 - 7 wrestlers are more motivated. This implies that there could be factors other than just motivation at play. If their results drop, it's not just about being motivated in one match (to reach 8 - 6). The idea that wrestlers might make deals (so one wins one match and the other wins the next) is a logical conclusion from the drop in performance. After a 7 - 7 wrestler gets to 8 - 6 (by potentially winning through a deal), in the next match (where they might be in a position to 'repay' the deal), their performance drops. The other options:

• "are exhausted after upset victories and lose the following match" is not supported as the text doesn't mention exhaustion from upset wins.
• "typically get a lucky win when they have a record of 7 - 7" doesn't counter the motivation claim effectively as it's about luck not countering the performance - post - 7 - 7 - match drop.
• "do not do as well when they are expected to win as when they are expected to lose" is too general and not specific to the 7 - 7 to 8 - 6 to next - match - drop scenario.

Answer:

B. might make deals so one wins one match and the other wins the next.