SUPPORTING DETAILS

CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details?

Supporting details are reasons, examples, facts,

steps, or other kinds of evidence that explain a
main idea.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details?

In this cartoon, what is the speaker’s main idea?

The main idea is that reading the morning
paper is bad for the man’s health.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details?

The supporting reasons are that the political news

raises his blood pressure, the business report
makes him depressed, and the sports page makes
him mad.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details?

Supporting Reasons
Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics for a number of reasons. First, women are still underrepresented in law
and business, the careers from which most politicians emerge. In addition, most
women find that the irregular hours kept by those who run for office are
incompatible with their role as mother. Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles
are more likely to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict.
Last, preferring to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to
incorporate women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable
candidates.

In the paragraph above, the main idea is that

women are underrepresented in U.S. politics
Read the paragraph and try to identify the three
major details that support this main idea.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details? / Supporting Reasons

What is the third major detail?

What is the first major detail? What is the second major detail?
Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics for a number of reasons. First, women are still underrepresented in law
and business, the careers from which most politicians emerge. In addition, most
women find that the irregular hours kept by those who run for office are
incompatible with their role as mother. Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles
are more likely to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict.
Last, preferring to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to
incorporate women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable
candidates.
Main idea: Women are underrepresented in U.S. politics.
Supporting detail 1: Women are still underrepresented in law and
business, the usual starting place for politicians.
Supporting detail 2: A politician’s hours are incompatible with the role
of a mother.
Supporting detail 3: Men have been reluctant to give women power.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details? / Supporting Reasons

Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
1
politics for a number of reasons. First, women are still underrepresented in law
and business, the careers from which most politicians emerge. In addition, most
2 women find that the irregular hours kept by those who run for office are
incompatible with their role as mother. Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles
are more likely to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict.
3
Last, preferring to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to
incorporate women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable
candidates.

In this paragraph, the three supporting details are

reasons women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics.
What Are Supporting Details? CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Supporting Facts
Several factors contribute to our pickiness about eating certain foods.
One factor which influences what foods we find tasty is how old we are. In
young people, taste buds die and are replaced about every seven days. As we age,
the buds are replaced more slowly, so taste declines. Thus children, who have
abundant taste buds, often dislike foods with strong or unusual tastes, but as they
grow older and lose taste buds, they may come to like these foods. Pickiness is
also related to our upbringing. Many food and taste preferences result from
childhood experiences and cultural influences. For example, Chinese children eat
chicken feet as part of their normal diet, whereas American children consider
such food “yucky.” A third factor relating to pickiness over food is our built-in
sense of taste, which enables us to discriminate between foods that are safe to eat
and foods that are poisonous. Because most plants that taste bitter contain toxic
chemicals, we are more likely to survive if we avoid bitter-tasting plants. We
have a preference, then, for sweet foods because they are generally
nonpoisonous.
In the paragraph above, the main idea is supported
by facts, not reasons.
Read the paragraph and try to identify the
separate factors that contribute to our pickiness about eating
certain foods (the main idea).
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details? / Supporting Facts

Several factors contribute to our pickiness about eating certain foods.

One factor which influences what foods we find tasty is how old we are. In
young people, taste buds die and are replaced about every seven days. As we age,
the buds are replaced more slowly, so taste declines. Thus children, who have
abundant taste buds, often dislike foods with strong or unusual tastes, but as they
grow older and lose taste buds, they may come to like these foods. Pickiness is
also related to our upbringing. Many food and taste preferences result from
childhood experiences and cultural influences. For example, Chinese children eat
chicken feet as part of their normal diet, whereas American children consider
such food “yucky.” A third factor relating to pickiness over food is our built-in
sense of taste, which enables us to discriminate between foods that are safe to eat
and foods that are poisonous. Because most plants that taste bitter contain toxic
chemicals, we are more likely to survive if we avoid bitter-tasting plants. We
have a preference, then, for sweet foods because they are generally
nonpoisonous.
There are three supporting facts for why we are picky about eating certain foods:
1)
1 our age and how it affects our taste buds;
2)
2 our upbringing;
3)
3 our built-in sense of taste.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details? / Supporting Facts

Several factors contribute to our pickiness about eating certain foods.

1 One factor which influences what foods we find tasty is how old we are

2 Pickiness is
also related to our upbringing.

3 A third factor relating to pickiness over food is our built-in

sense of taste,

The supporting details (the facts) give the added

information we need to fully understand the main
idea.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details?

Supporting Example(s)
An old Chinese story illustrates the emotional healing power of touch. A
woman went to a traditional herbal healer, asking for a potion to kill her cruel
mother-in-law. The herbalist gave her some tea, telling her to make some for her
mother-in-law every day for three months. In addition, he told her to massage
the older woman every day, claiming that the poison would enter the woman’s
system more effectively that way. At the end of the three months, the mother-in-
law would die, apparently of natural causes. The daughter-in-law did as she was
told. But at the end of two and a half months, she had come to know and
understand her mother-in-law through giving her massage. In turn, her mother-
in-law had started to love her. The young woman ran back to the wise old doctor
to ask for an antidote to the poison. He told her the tea was not poison at all,
only flower water.

In this paragraph, the main idea is supported by an

extended example. Read the paragraph and identify
which sentence contains the main idea. Then identify
which sentence starts the extended example.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

What Are Supporting Details? / Supporting Example(s)

An old Chinese story illustrates the emotional healing power of touch. A

woman went to a traditional herbal healer, asking for a potion to kill her cruel
mother-in-law. The herbalist gave her some tea, telling her to make some for her
mother-in-law every day for three months. In addition, he told her to massage
the older woman every day, claiming that the poison would enter the woman’s
system more effectively that way. At the end of the three months, the mother-in-
law would die, apparently of natural causes. The daughter-in-law did as she was
told. But at the end of two and a half months, she had come to know and
understand her mother-in-law through giving her massage. In turn, her mother-
in-law had started to love her. The young woman ran back to the wise old doctor
to ask for an antidote to the poison. He told her the tea was not poison at all,
only flower water.

The first sentence presents the main idea.

The extended example starts in the second
sentence and continues to the end of the
paragraph.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Preparing an outline of a passage often helps you

understand and see clearly the relationship between a
main idea and its supporting details.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Outlines start with a main idea (or a heading that

summarizes the main idea) followed by supporting
details.
There are often two levels of supporting details—major
and minor. The major details explain and develop the
main idea. In turn, the minor details help fill out and
make clear the major details.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
is the creating of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Here is the paragraph on gossip that you saw in

Chapter 1.
Reread the paragraph and pick out the three major
supporting details.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is 1a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the2 building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
3 of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
is the creating
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is 1a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the2 building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
3 of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
is the creating
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

To outline this paragraph, these are the items you

would include as the main idea and the major
supporting details.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is 1a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the2 building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
3 of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
is the creating
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community
Major detail: 1. Form of networking

Major detail: 2. Building of influence

Major detail: 3. Creating of social alliances

 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
is the creating of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Now look at the minor details.

These can be added to the outline.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
is the creating of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community
Major detail: 1. Form of networking
Minor detail: Networking is the best way to know who’s out, who’s
in, and who can help us socially or professionally.
Major detail: 2. Building of influence
Minor detail: By gossiping we can impress others as clever
and compassionate, warm and likable.
Major detail: 3. Creating of social alliances
Minor detail: Sharing private information creates a bond with our
listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
is the creating of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community
Minor detail:1. Form of networking
Major detail: Networking is the best way to know who’s out, who’s
in, and who can help us socially or professionally.

Major detail: 2. Building of influence

Minor detail: By gossiping we can impress others as clever and
compassionate, warm and likable.
Major detail: 3. Creating of social alliances
Minor detail: Sharing private information creates a bond with our
listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining

Notice that the outline of a passage helps you

understand and see clearly the relationship between a
main idea and its supporting details.

Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community
Major detail: 1. Form of networking
Minor detail: Networking is the best way to know who’s out, who’s in,
and who can help us socially or professionally.
Major detail: 2. Building of influence
Minor detail: By gossiping we can impress others as clever
and compassionate, warm and likable.
Major detail: 3. Creating of social alliances
Minor detail: Sharing private information creates a bond with our
listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

Outlining Tips
TIP 1 Look for words that tell you a list of details is coming.

Here are some common list words that you saw in

Chapter 1:
List Words

Examples
• However, it [gossip] actually serves several important functions
in the human community.
• Women are underrepresented in U.S. politics for a number of
reasons.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

TIP 1 Look for words that tell you a list of details is coming.

List Words

You will not always be given such helpful signals that a list of
details will follow. However, you will want to note such words
when they are present. They help you to understand quickly
the basic organization of a passage.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

TIP 2 Look for words that signal major details.

Such words are called addition words. Here are

some common addition words:
Addition Words
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

TIP 2 Look for words that signal major details.

Look again at the selection on underrepresentation of
women.
Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics for a number of reasons.
Addition word First women are still underrepresented in law
First,
and business, the careers from which most politicians emerge. In addition,
Addition words addition most
women find that the irregular hours kept by those who run for office are
Addition
incompatible
word with their role as mother. Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles
are more likely to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict.
Last, preferring to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to
incorporate women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable
candidates.

• Which word introduces the first major detail? First

• Which words introduce the second major detail? In addition
• Which word introduces the third major detail? Last
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

TIP 3 When making an outline, put all supporting details of

equal importance at the same distance from the margin.

In the model outline below, the three major

supporting details all begin at the same distance
from the margin.
Main idea

1. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail

2. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail

3. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail
c. Minor detail
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Outlining / Outlining Tips

TIP 3 When making an outline, put all supporting details of

equal importance at the same distance from the margin.

Likewise, the minor supporting details are all indented at

the same distance from the margin.

Main idea

1. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail

2. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail

3. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail
c. Minor detail
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Mapping

Maps, or diagrams, are highly visual outlines in which

circles, boxes, or other shapes show the relationships
between main ideas and supporting details.
Each major detail is connected to the main idea, often
presented in the form of a title. If minor details are
included, each is connected to the major detail it
explains.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Mapping

Here is how you might create a map of the paragraph on gossip.

Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young or old,
blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such gossip is
Main ideaas a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important functions in the
viewed
human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and
Major details
coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing
socialdetails
Minor dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or
professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of influence. When we engage in
gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell stories that show ourselves in
a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever. A final and very powerful function of gossip
is the creating of social alliances. There are few quicker ways to form a bond with another person
than to share private information with him or her. To talk about a third party, especially in a
critical way, creates a bond with our listener and gives a feeling of shared superiority.

Gossip serves several important functions in the

human community.

Form of networking
Gossiping is the best way to
know who’s out, who’s in,
and who can help us socially
or professionally.
Creating of social
Building of influence
alliances
By gossiping we can impress Sharing private
others as clever and information creates a bond
compassionate. with our listener and gives
a feeling of shared
superiority.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Mapping

Read this paragraph and decide what major details should be added to the
map below.
With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every human
society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were four major
social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the aristocrats, called
“patricians.” This term derived from the word for father— pater—and is still
sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia. Second, as a practical
matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously powerful group. One
Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich the soldiers; nothing else
matters.” Next came the common people, called the plebeians. (This term too survives
today: a freshman at a military academy is called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans,
shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at the bottom, were slaves. They could work as
domestic servants, manual laborers, and so on; but some slaves were educated and
served as teachers.

There were four major social classes

in Rome.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Mapping

With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every human
society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were four major
social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the aristocrats,aristocrats
called
“patricians.” This term derived from the word for father— pater—and is still
sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia. Second, as a practical
matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an soldiers
enormously powerful group. One
Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich the soldiers; nothing else
matters.” Next came the common people, called the plebeians.
common (This term too survives
people
today: a freshman at a military academy is called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans,
shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at the bottom, were slaves. They could work as
domestic servants, manual laborers, and so on; but some slaves were educated and
served as teachers.slaves

Aristocrats(Patricia
Soldiers
ns)
There were four major social classes
in Rome.
Common people Slaves
(Plebeians)
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Mapping

Notice that addition words introduce the major details.

With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every human
society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were four major
social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the aristocrats, called
“patricians.” This term derived from the word for father— pater—and is still
sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia. Second, as a practical
matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously powerful group. One
Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich the soldiers; nothing else
matters.” Next came the common people, called the plebeians. (This term too survives
today: a freshman at a military academy is called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans,
shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at the bottom, were slaves. They could work as
domestic servants, manual laborers, and so on; but some slaves were educated and
served as teachers.

Aristocrats(Patricia
Soldiers
ns)
There were four major social classes
in Rome.
Common people Slaves
(Plebeians)
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Summarizing

A summary is the reduction of a large amount of

information to its most important points.

As a general guideline, a paragraph might be reduced

to a sentence or two, an article might be reduced to a
paragraph, and a textbook chapter might be reduced
to about three pages of notes.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Summarizing

One of the most common types of summarizing

occurs when you are taking study notes on textbook
material.
Very often you will find it helpful to summarize
examples of key terms.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Summarizing

Read the textbook passage below.

Habituation is the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant. The
brain seems “prewired” to pay more attention to changes in the environment than to stimuli
that remain constant. Have you ever gotten a new clock and thought it had a very loud tick,
but in a short time you realized you weren’t aware of its ticking at all? This happens because
you become habituated to the regularity of the sound. If the sound changed every few
minutes, you would notice every change because you would not have enough time to
become habituated each time. High-end car security systems take advantage of this. When
activated, the security system begins with a siren, which then changes to honking, then back
to a siren, and so forth, so that it is impossible to habituate to the noise and ignore the alarm.
These types of alarms are annoying, but effective.

Now read this summary of the passage.

Summary

Habituation—the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant.

For example, you will lose awareness of the ticking of a new clock.

Note that a textbook definition of a key term (such as

habituation) should generally not be summarized, but should
be worded in the language chosen by the author.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Summarizing

Habituation is the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant. The
brain seems “prewired” to pay more attention to changes in the environment than to stimuli
that remain constant. Have you ever gotten a new clock and thought it had a very loud tick,
but in a short time you realized you weren’t aware of its ticking at all? This happens because
67 you become habituated to the regularity of the sound. If the sound changed every few
words
minutes, you would notice every change because you would not have enough time to
become habituated each time. High-end car security systems take advantage of this. When
activated, the security system begins with a siren, which then changes to honking, then back
to a siren, and so forth, so that it is impossible to habituate to the noise and ignore the alarm.
These types of alarms are annoying, but effective.

Summary

Habituation—the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant.

13
words
For example, you will lose awareness of the ticking of a new clock.

On the other hand, it usually makes sense to

summarize the supporting information.
 CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details

Summarizing

Summarizing often involves two steps:

1 Select one example from several that might be

given.

2 Condense the example if it’s not already very

brief.
CHAPTER 2 Supporting Details