A study by Dr. Paul Hanel and colleagues concluded that people are more likely to behave politely when listening to...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
A study by Dr. Paul Hanel and colleagues concluded that people are more likely to behave politely when listening to ideas they disagree with if they think about values before they engage in a discussion. Study participants were assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group spent a few minutes writing about one of their personal values before they had a group discussion on a controversial topic. And the control group spent a few minutes writing about a drink (tea, milk, etc.) before their group discussion on that topic. Hanel and colleagues found that the experimental group's discussion was more civil than the control group's discussion was.
Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
To describe a widely held belief and how a study's results support that belief
To argue that researchers were surprised by the results of a certain study
To suggest ways to improve a certain study's experimental design
To explain a study's conclusion and how a research team arrived at that conclusion
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A study by Dr. Paul Hanel and colleagues concluded that people are more likely to behave politely when listening to ideas they disagree with if they think about values before they engage in a discussion." |
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| "Study participants were assigned to one of two groups." |
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| "The experimental group spent a few minutes writing about one of their personal values before they had a group discussion on a controversial topic." |
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| "And the control group spent a few minutes writing about a drink (tea, milk, etc.) before their group discussion on that topic." |
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| "Hanel and colleagues found that the experimental group's discussion was more civil than the control group's discussion was." |
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Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
- STUDY CONCLUSION: People more polite when hearing opposing views if they think about values first
- EXPERIMENTAL METHOD: Experimental Group (wrote about personal values) vs Control Group (wrote about drinks)
- RESULTS: Experimental group had more civil discussions
Main Point: A study found that people behave more politely during disagreements when they first reflect on their personal values.
Argument Flow: The passage opens with the study's conclusion, then walks us through exactly how the researchers reached this conclusion by describing their two-group experiment and reporting the results that confirmed their hypothesis.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? The primary function or goal the author had in writing this passage
Any limiting keywords? "Main purpose" tells us to focus on the overall intent, not specific details
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage gives us a study's conclusion right up front, then systematically explains how the researchers designed their experiment and what they discovered
- The author's main purpose seems to be showing us both what the researchers found AND the process they used to reach that finding
- We're getting both the "what" (the conclusion) and the "how" (the methodology and results)
- So the right answer should recognize that this text is fundamentally about explaining both a study's conclusion and the research process that led to it
To describe a widely held belief and how a study's results support that belief
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the text describes a "widely held belief," but the passage presents a specific study's findings, not a general belief
- The text doesn't indicate this conclusion was widely accepted before the study
To argue that researchers were surprised by the results of a certain study
✗ Incorrect
- Nothing in the passage suggests the researchers were surprised by their results
- The text presents the conclusion first, then the method, suggesting the results matched expectations
- The word "argue" also doesn't fit the neutral, informative tone
To suggest ways to improve a certain study's experimental design
✗ Incorrect
- The passage describes the study that was conducted, not suggestions for improving it
- There's no criticism of the experimental design or proposals for changes
- The tone is descriptive, not prescriptive
To explain a study's conclusion and how a research team arrived at that conclusion
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures what we see: the text opens with the study's conclusion, then explains how the team reached it
- Matches our passage structure: conclusion, methodology, results
- The phrase "how a research team arrived at that conclusion" accurately describes the experimental setup and findings we're given