OccupationSomewhat or very unlikely (%)Neutral (%)Somewhat or very likely (%)television news anchor24967teacher371647firefighter62930surgeon74916tour ...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Occupation | Somewhat or very unlikely (%) | Neutral (%) | Somewhat or very likely (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| television news anchor | 24 | 9 | 67 |
| teacher | 37 | 16 | 47 |
| firefighter | 62 | 9 | 30 |
| surgeon | 74 | 9 | 16 |
| tour guide | 10 | 8 | 82 |
Georgia Tech roboticists De'Aira Bryant and Ayanna Howard, along with ethicist Jason Borenstein, were interested in people's perceptions of robots' competence. They recruited participants and asked them how likely they think it is that a robot could do the work required in various occupations. Participants' evaluations varied widely depending on which occupation was being considered; for example, ________
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
47% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work effectively as a teacher, but 37% of respondents believe that it is somewhat or very unlikely that a robot could do so.
9% of participants were neutral about whether a robot could work effectively as a television news anchor, which is the same percent of participants who were neutral when asked about a robot working as a surgeon.
82% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work effectively as a tour guide, but only 16% believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work as a surgeon.
62% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very unlikely that a robot could work effectively as a firefighter.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Georgia Tech roboticists De'Aira Bryant and Ayanna Howard, along with ethicist Jason Borenstein, were interested in people's perceptions of robots' competence. |
|
| They recruited participants and asked them how likely they think it is that a robot could do the work required in various occupations. |
|
| Participants' evaluations varied widely depending on which occupation was being considered; |
|
| for example, _____ |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Researchers found that people's perceptions of robot competence vary significantly across different occupations.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces research on robot competence perceptions, explains the methodology, states that results varied by occupation, and sets up the need for a specific data example to illustrate this variation.
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 says evaluations varied widely depending on occupation
- We need an example showing stark contrast between how people view robots in different occupations
- The biggest differences are between tour guide (82% likely) and surgeon (16% likely) - a 66 percentage point difference
- The correct answer must compare two different occupations with very different likelihood percentages to demonstrate wide variation
47% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work effectively as a teacher, but 37% of respondents believe that it is somewhat or very unlikely that a robot could do so.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses only on teacher data (47% likely vs 37% unlikely)
- Shows internal split within one occupation rather than variation between occupations
- Does not demonstrate wide variation between different jobs
9% of participants were neutral about whether a robot could work effectively as a television news anchor, which is the same percent of participants who were neutral when asked about a robot working as a surgeon.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares neutral percentages (9% for both TV anchor and surgeon)
- Shows similarity, not variation - directly contradicts the varied widely claim
- Focuses on least important category rather than main likelihood judgments
82% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work effectively as a tour guide, but only 16% believe that it is somewhat or very likely that a robot could work as a surgeon.
✓ Correct
- Compares tour guide (82% likely) with surgeon (16% likely)
- Shows massive 66 percentage point difference between occupations
- Perfectly illustrates wide variation with the most extreme contrast available in the data
62% of participants believe that it is somewhat or very unlikely that a robot could work effectively as a firefighter.
✗ Incorrect
- Only provides data for one occupation (firefighter at 62% unlikely)
- Gives no comparison between different occupations
- Cannot demonstrate variation since variation requires comparing multiple things