Performance aspectOpening nightMid-runFinal weekAudience engagement0.62340.56780.5956Critical acclaim-{0.8567}-{0.9123}-{0.8845}During a musical's thr...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Performance aspect | Opening night | Mid-run | Final week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience engagement | \(\mathrm{0.6234}\) | \(\mathrm{0.5678}\) | \(\mathrm{0.5956}\) |
| Critical acclaim | \(\mathrm{-0.8567}\) | \(\mathrm{-0.9123}\) | \(\mathrm{-0.8845}\) |
During a musical's three-month run, box office revenue patterns were tracked alongside various performance factors. Connection scores between these factors and ticket sales were calculated, with values ranging from \(\mathrm{-1}\) to \(\mathrm{1}\) where stronger relationships appear as numbers further from zero. Amanda Rodriguez, the theater director, worked with her production team to analyze audience feedback ratings collected at different performance periods. Their analysis revealed that critical acclaim demonstrates stronger connections to box office success than audience engagement does.
Which choice best describes data from the table that support the team's conclusion?
For each of the three time periods, connections with critical acclaim are further from 0 than the corresponding connections with audience engagement are.
The connection between opening night performance and audience engagement is further from 0 than the connection between final week performance and critical acclaim is.
For each of the three periods, the connection with critical acclaim is negative while the connection with audience engagement is positive.
The connection between mid-run performance and critical acclaim is further from 0 than the connection between opening night performance and audience engagement is.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "During a musical's three-month run, box office revenue patterns were tracked alongside various performance factors." |
|
| "Connection scores between these factors and ticket sales were calculated, with values ranging from -1 to 1 where stronger relationships appear as numbers further from zero." |
|
| "Amanda Rodriguez, the theater director, worked with her production team to analyze audience feedback ratings collected at different performance periods." |
|
| "Their analysis revealed that critical acclaim demonstrates stronger connections to box office success than audience engagement does." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research analysis found that critical acclaim has stronger connections to box office success than audience engagement does.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the research context of tracking a musical's performance factors over three months, explains how connection strength is measured (further from zero = stronger), identifies the research team and their data source, then presents their key finding that critical acclaim shows stronger connections to box office success than audience engagement.
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
- Since the passage tells us that "stronger relationships appear as numbers further from zero," we need to compare the absolute values of the connection scores
- For critical acclaim to be stronger than audience engagement, the critical acclaim numbers should be further from zero in each time period
- Looking at the data:
- Opening night: \(|0.6234|\) vs \(|-0.8567|\) → 0.6234 vs 0.8567
- Mid-run: \(|0.5678|\) vs \(|-0.9123|\) → 0.5678 vs 0.9123
- Final week: \(|0.5956|\) vs \(|-0.8845|\) → 0.5956 vs 0.8845
- So the right answer should show that critical acclaim values are consistently further from zero than audience engagement values across all time periods
For each of the three time periods, connections with critical acclaim are further from 0 than the corresponding connections with audience engagement are.
✓ Correct
- This matches exactly what we see in the data - in all three periods, critical acclaim values are further from zero than audience engagement values
- This systematic pattern across all periods directly supports the conclusion
The connection between opening night performance and audience engagement is further from 0 than the connection between final week performance and critical acclaim is.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares opening night audience engagement with final week critical acclaim
- This specific comparison is mathematically incorrect and doesn't establish the overall pattern needed to support the conclusion
For each of the three periods, the connection with critical acclaim is negative while the connection with audience engagement is positive.
✗ Incorrect
- While it's true that critical acclaim values are negative and audience engagement values are positive, this describes the direction of correlation, not the strength
- The conclusion is about connection strength (distance from zero), not whether correlations are positive or negative
The connection between mid-run performance and critical acclaim is further from 0 than the connection between opening night performance and audience engagement is.
✗ Incorrect
- Only compares one critical acclaim value with one audience engagement value
- While this specific comparison is true, it doesn't show the consistent pattern across all periods that would support the general conclusion