Environmental decision-making patterns have long interested behavioral scientists. Recent research revealed that people's product choices can be signi...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Environmental decision-making patterns have long interested behavioral scientists. Recent research revealed that people's product choices can be significantly influenced by their prior exposure to environmental information. In one study, participants were divided into two groups and given different background materials to read. The first group read detailed accounts of successful recycling programs that had achieved notable waste reduction in local communities. The second group read accounts of recycling programs that had failed to meet their environmental goals.
After this initial exposure, researchers presented both groups with identical product choice scenarios. Each participant had to select between environmentally friendly and conventional alternatives. The results showed a clear pattern: participants who had read about successful environmental programs chose eco-friendly options at significantly higher rates than those who had read about failed programs.
From these findings, the scientists concluded that environmental decision-making can be affected by ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
the cost difference between product options.
exposure to previous environmental information.
the location where choices are made.
the age of the decision-makers.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Environmental decision-making patterns have long interested behavioral scientists." |
|
| "Recent research revealed that people's product choices can be significantly influenced by their prior exposure to environmental information." |
|
| "In one study, participants were divided into two groups and given different background materials to read." |
|
| "The first group read detailed accounts of successful recycling programs that had achieved notable waste reduction in local communities." |
|
| "The second group read accounts of recycling programs that had failed to meet their environmental goals." |
|
| "After this initial exposure, researchers presented both groups with identical product choice scenarios." |
|
| "Each participant had to select between environmentally friendly and conventional alternatives." |
|
| "The results showed a clear pattern: participants who had read about successful environmental programs chose eco-friendly options at significantly higher rates than those who had read about failed programs." |
|
| "From these findings, the scientists concluded that environmental decision-making can be affected by ______" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map: Research Context → Key Finding → Study Design → Results → Conclusion
Main Point: A study demonstrated that reading about successful versus failed environmental programs influences people's subsequent environmental product choices.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that environmental decision-making is an area of scientific interest, then presents a specific study that manipulated participants' prior exposure to environmental information and measured the effect on their product choices.
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 study's key manipulation was giving different groups different types of environmental information to read beforehand
- This was the only difference between groups, yet it led to significantly different eco-friendly choice rates
- So the scientists concluded that environmental decisions are affected by prior exposure to environmental information
the cost difference between product options.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests cost differences influence environmental decisions
- The study didn't manipulate or measure cost differences between options
exposure to previous environmental information.
✓ Correct
- This directly captures what the study manipulated and found effective
- The study showed that prior exposure to environmental information significantly influenced participants' environmental product choices
the location where choices are made.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests location affects environmental decisions
- The study didn't examine or vary the location where choices were made
the age of the decision-makers.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests age influences environmental decisions
- The passage makes no mention of participant age or age-related differences