During academic research, a student compiled the following notes:Dr. Patricia Lee and Dr. David Kim, specialists in consumer psychology, investigated...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
During academic research, a student compiled the following notes:
- Dr. Patricia Lee and Dr. David Kim, specialists in consumer psychology, investigated how people make purchasing decisions in digital retail settings.
- Their research methodology incorporated eye-movement tracking systems and software for analyzing consumer behavior.
- The study revealed that buyers' cognitive processing alternates between two distinct approaches when evaluating products.
- The first approach involves consumers making judgments based on visual attractiveness and initial reactions.
- The second approach entails consumers conducting detailed comparisons of product attributes and specifications among various alternatives.
The student seeks to create a summary of the research outcomes. Which option best incorporates pertinent details from the notes to achieve this objective?
Lee and Kim employed eye-movement tracking systems and behavioral analysis software to investigate purchasing decision processes in digital retail environments.
Lee and Kim found that buyers alternate between assessing products through instant visual attraction and conducting thorough feature comparisons among alternatives.
Lee and Kim established that consumers evaluate products through immediate visual attractiveness while engaging in online purchasing.
Lee and Kim's studies, utilizing eye-movement tracking systems, uncovered fundamental assessment approaches related to cognitive processing systems.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Dr. Patricia Lee and Dr. David Kim, specialists in consumer psychology, investigated how people make purchasing decisions in digital retail settings.' |
|
| 'Their research methodology incorporated eye-movement tracking systems and software for analyzing consumer behavior.' |
|
| 'The study revealed that buyers' cognitive processing alternates between two distinct approaches when evaluating products.' |
|
| 'The first approach involves consumers making judgments based on visual attractiveness and initial reactions.' |
|
| 'The second approach entails consumers conducting detailed comparisons of product attributes and specifications among various alternatives.' |
|
Main Point and Structure
Main Point: Lee and Kim discovered that consumers use two alternating cognitive approaches when making online purchases - one based on visual appeal and gut reactions, the other on systematic feature comparisons.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should mention both researchers (Lee and Kim) since they conducted the study
- Capture the main finding about consumers alternating between two different approaches
- Specify what those two approaches are: visual/immediate assessment vs. detailed comparison
- Focus on outcomes rather than just methodology
Lee and Kim employed eye-movement tracking systems and behavioral analysis software to investigate purchasing decision processes in digital retail environments.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses entirely on methodology (eye-tracking, software) without mentioning the actual research findings
- Doesn't address what they discovered about consumer behavior patterns
Lee and Kim found that buyers alternate between assessing products through instant visual attraction and conducting thorough feature comparisons among alternatives.
✓ Correct
- Captures both researchers' names
- Includes the core finding about alternating between two approaches
- Specifically mentions both approaches (instant visual attraction and thorough feature comparisons)
- Directly addresses research outcomes
Lee and Kim established that consumers evaluate products through immediate visual attractiveness while engaging in online purchasing.
✗ Incorrect
- Only mentions the first approach (visual attractiveness) but completely omits the second approach
- Incomplete summary since it misses half of the key finding
Lee and Kim's studies, utilizing eye-movement tracking systems, uncovered fundamental assessment approaches related to cognitive processing systems.
✗ Incorrect
- Mentions methodology but is vague about the actual findings
- Uses unclear language without explaining what the approaches actually are