Text 1 In a study of the benefits of having free time, Marissa Sharif found that the reported sense of...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Text 1
In a study of the benefits of having free time, Marissa Sharif found that the reported sense of life satisfaction tended to plateau when participants had two hours of free time per day and actually began to fall when they had five hours of free time per day. After further research, Sharif concluded that this dip in life satisfaction mainly occurred when individuals spent all their free time unproductively, such as by watching TV or playing games.
Text 2
Psychologist James Maddux cautions against suggesting an ideal amount of free time. The human desire for both free time and productivity is universal, but Maddux asserts that individuals have unique needs for life satisfaction. Furthermore, he points out that there is no objective definition for what constitutes productivity; reading a book might be considered a productive activity by some, but idleness by others.
Based on the texts, how would Maddux (Text 2) most likely respond to the conclusion Sharif (Text 1) reached after her further research?
By acknowledging that free time is more likely to enhance life satisfaction when it is spent productively than when it is spent unproductively
By challenging the reasoning in Text 1, as it has not been proved that productivity commonly contributes to individuals' life satisfaction
By warning against making an overly broad assumption, as there is no clear consensus in distinguishing between productive and unproductive activities
By claiming that the specific activities named in Text 1 are actually examples of productive activities rather than unproductive ones
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Text 1: "In a study of the benefits of having free time, Marissa Sharif found that the reported sense of life satisfaction tended to plateau when participants had two hours of free time per day and actually began to fall when they had five hours of free time per day." |
|
| "After further research, Sharif concluded that this dip in life satisfaction mainly occurred when individuals spent all their free time unproductively, such as by watching TV or playing games." |
|
| Text 2: "Psychologist James Maddux cautions against suggesting an ideal amount of free time." |
|
| "The human desire for both free time and productivity is universal, but Maddux asserts that individuals have unique needs for life satisfaction." |
|
| "Furthermore, he points out that there is no objective definition for what constitutes productivity; reading a book might be considered a productive activity by some, but idleness by others." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
- Main Point: Two researchers disagree about free time recommendations - Sharif blames unproductive activities for decreased satisfaction, while Maddux questions whether we can even define productive objectively.
- Argument Flow: The passage contrasts Sharif's specific research findings and categorical explanation with Maddux's more cautious approach that emphasizes individual differences and definitional problems with terms like productivity.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? How would Maddux respond to Sharif's specific conclusion that the satisfaction dip mainly occurred when individuals spent all their free time unproductively
- What type of answer do we need? Maddux's likely reaction based on his stated views in Text 2
- Any limiting keywords? N/A
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at Maddux's perspective, he makes two key points: individuals have unique needs for satisfaction, and there's no objective definition of productivity.
- Sharif's conclusion relies heavily on categorizing activities as unproductive (TV, games) versus presumably productive ones.
- The right answer should show Maddux challenging Sharif's ability to make such clear-cut distinctions.
- He'd likely point out that her conclusion assumes we can objectively separate productive from unproductive activities, but he specifically argues this separation doesn't exist.
By acknowledging that free time is more likely to enhance life satisfaction when it is spent productively than when it is spent unproductively
- This choice accepts the productive/unproductive distinction that Maddux questions.
- Maddux wouldn't acknowledge this framework since he argues there's no objective definition of productivity.
By challenging the reasoning in Text 1, as it has not been proved that productivity commonly contributes to individuals' life satisfaction
- Focuses on whether productivity contributes to satisfaction.
- Misses Maddux's main point about definitional problems with productivity itself.
By warning against making an overly broad assumption, as there is no clear consensus in distinguishing between productive and unproductive activities
- Matches Maddux's core argument about definitional problems.
- No clear consensus in distinguishing between productive and unproductive activities directly reflects his point about reading being seen as productive by some, idle by others.
- Shows him warning against overly broad assumptions, which aligns with his caution about individual differences.
By claiming that the specific activities named in Text 1 are actually examples of productive activities rather than unproductive ones
- Claims TV and games are actually productive activities.
- This isn't Maddux's point - he's not defending these specific activities but questioning the entire categorization system.