During a comprehensive study of consumer behavior, researcher Jennifer Chen along with her colleagues conducted surveys to determine which factors...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
During a comprehensive study of consumer behavior, researcher Jennifer Chen along with her colleagues conducted surveys to determine which factors matter most to customers when choosing technological products. The investigation team categorized every factor as either focused on convenience or centered on quality, discovering that shoppers valued convenience-oriented attributes far more substantially than those emphasizing quality. To illustrate this trend, \(26.8\%\) of respondents identified 24/7 customer support as their primary concern, while only ______
| Product Feature | Feature Category | Percentage of consumers ranking feature as priority (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Easy-to-use interface | convenience | \(5.9\) |
| Extended warranty coverage | quality | \(11.2\) |
| Fast delivery options | convenience | \(18.3\) |
| Premium materials used | quality | \(3.1\) |
| 24/7 customer support | convenience | \(26.8\) |
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text?
\(11.2\%\) considered extended warranty coverage their primary concern.
\(3.1\%\) considered premium materials used their primary concern.
\(18.3\%\) considered fast delivery options their primary concern.
\(5.9\%\) considered easy-to-use interface their primary concern.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "During a comprehensive study of consumer behavior, researcher Jennifer Chen along with her colleagues conducted surveys to determine which factors matter most to customers when choosing technological products." |
|
| "The investigation team categorized every factor as either focused on convenience or centered on quality, discovering that shoppers valued convenience-oriented attributes far more substantially than those emphasizing quality." |
|
| "To illustrate this trend, 26.8% of respondents identified 24/7 customer support as their primary concern, while only ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Chen's research found that consumers value convenience-oriented features in technology products much more than quality-oriented features.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the research context, states the main finding that convenience trumps quality in consumer preferences, then begins providing a specific numerical example to support this claim with a contrast between a high-ranking convenience feature and a low-ranking quality feature.
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 sentence structure sets up a contrast: "\(26.8\%\) valued [convenience feature], while only __% valued [something else]"
- The word "only" signals we need a smaller percentage to emphasize the difference
- To support the main claim that convenience beats quality, we need a quality feature with a low percentage
- Looking at quality features in the table: extended warranty (\(11.2\%\)) and premium materials (\(3.1\%\))
- The stronger contrast would use \(3.1\%\) since it's much lower than \(26.8\%\)
\(11.2\%\) considered extended warranty coverage their primary concern.
✗ Incorrect
- This gives us \(11.2\%\) for extended warranty coverage, which is a quality feature
- While this creates a contrast (\(26.8\%\) vs \(11.2\%\)), it's not as dramatic as it could be
\(3.1\%\) considered premium materials used their primary concern.
✓ Correct
- This completes the contrast with \(3.1\%\) for premium materials used
- Creates the strongest possible contrast (\(26.8\%\) vs \(3.1\%\)) to support the convenience over quality claim
- Premium materials is clearly a quality feature, fitting the sentence logic perfectly
\(18.3\%\) considered fast delivery options their primary concern.
✗ Incorrect
- Fast delivery options is a convenience feature (\(18.3\%\))
- This would create a sentence comparing two convenience features, which doesn't support the convenience vs. quality argument
\(5.9\%\) considered easy-to-use interface their primary concern.
✗ Incorrect
- Easy-to-use interface is also a convenience feature (\(5.9\%\))
- Like choice C, this compares convenience to convenience rather than convenience to quality