Researchers wanted to understand factors that influence cooperation in group settings. In their study, participants were paired with partners they...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Researchers wanted to understand factors that influence cooperation in group settings. In their study, participants were paired with partners they had never met before. Half the participants maintained direct eye contact with their partners during initial conversations, while the other half were instructed to avoid eye contact. When later asked to participate in a collaborative task, participants who had made eye contact were much more likely to cooperate effectively with their partners. This finding suggests that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
people who frequently make eye contact probably cooperate more in their daily lives than those who avoid it.
group leaders should establish the same interaction rules whether meetings are conducted in person or virtually.
virtual collaboration tools may need to better facilitate eye contact to improve team effectiveness.
eye contact appears to increase willingness to cooperate more than when it is absent.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Researchers wanted to understand factors that influence cooperation in group settings." |
|
| "In their study, participants were paired with partners they had never met before." |
|
| "Half the participants maintained direct eye contact with their partners during initial conversations, while the other half were instructed to avoid eye contact." |
|
| "When later asked to participate in a collaborative task, participants who had made eye contact were much more likely to cooperate effectively with their partners." |
|
| "This finding suggests that ______" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A study found that participants who made eye contact with unfamiliar partners during initial conversations were more likely to cooperate effectively in later collaborative tasks.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a research question about cooperation factors, describes a controlled experiment comparing eye contact versus no eye contact conditions between strangers, reports that the eye contact group showed greater cooperation, and leads to a conclusion about what this finding suggests.
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 showed a clear comparison: people who made eye contact cooperated more effectively than those who didn't make eye contact
- The logical conclusion should directly reflect this comparison and finding
- The right answer should stay focused on what the study actually demonstrated (eye contact leading to more cooperation)
- Make a direct connection between eye contact and cooperation willingness
- Not go beyond the scope of what was tested
people who frequently make eye contact probably cooperate more in their daily lives than those who avoid it.
✗ Incorrect
- This generalizes the finding to people's daily lives and frequent behavior patterns
- The study only tested one interaction between strangers, not ongoing daily life patterns
group leaders should establish the same interaction rules whether meetings are conducted in person or virtually.
✗ Incorrect
- This jumps to leadership recommendations and virtual vs. in-person meetings
- The study didn't examine leadership, meeting formats, or virtual interactions at all
virtual collaboration tools may need to better facilitate eye contact to improve team effectiveness.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses specifically on virtual collaboration tools
- The study was conducted with in-person interactions, not virtual ones
eye contact appears to increase willingness to cooperate more than when it is absent.
✓ Correct
- Directly reflects the study's core finding: eye contact group showed more cooperation than no eye contact group
- Uses precise language that matches the experimental comparison and stays within the bounds of what was actually demonstrated without overgeneralizing