Studies of childhood play behavior in the 1980s consistently documented high rates of solitary activity among preschoolers, prompting developmental ps...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Studies of childhood play behavior in the 1980s consistently documented high rates of solitary activity among preschoolers, prompting developmental psychologists to conclude that young children naturally prefer independent play. When researchers examined the same data more carefully, however, they discovered that collaborative play opportunities—requiring additional teacher preparation and specialized materials—were offered far less frequently than independent activities, yet children chose group activities at rates nearly four times higher when such options were available. This finding challenges the belief that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
teacher preparation time significantly influenced the types of play activities offered to preschoolers.
young children naturally gravitate toward solitary rather than collaborative play activities.
1980s research methodology was sufficiently rigorous for studying authentic play preferences.
preschool curricula should emphasize independent skill development over social interaction.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Studies of childhood play behavior in the 1980s consistently documented high rates of solitary activity among preschoolers," |
|
| "prompting developmental psychologists to conclude that young children naturally prefer independent play." |
|
| "When researchers examined the same data more carefully, however," |
|
| "they discovered that collaborative play opportunities—requiring additional teacher preparation and specialized materials—were offered far less frequently than independent activities," |
|
| "yet children chose group activities at rates nearly four times higher when such options were available." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: New analysis of 1980s play behavior data reveals that children actually prefer group activities when available, contradicting the original conclusion that they naturally prefer solitary play.
Argument Flow: The passage begins with established research showing high rates of solitary play, which led to conclusions about natural preferences. However, when researchers looked more carefully, they found that group activities were simply offered less frequently due to practical constraints, and when available, children chose them at much higher rates. This challenges the original interpretation about children's natural play preferences.
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 new evidence shows that when group activities were actually available, children chose them at rates nearly four times higher than when they weren't available
- This directly contradicts the original interpretation that children naturally prefer solitary play
- So the belief being challenged should be about children's supposed natural preference for independent/solitary activities over collaborative/group activities
teacher preparation time significantly influenced the types of play activities offered to preschoolers.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses on teacher preparation time influencing activity offerings
- While the passage mentions this as a factor, it's not the belief being challenged
- The challenged belief is about children's preferences, not about teacher logistics
young children naturally gravitate toward solitary rather than collaborative play activities.
✓ Correct
- This directly states the belief that children naturally gravitate toward solitary rather than collaborative play
- This matches exactly what the psychologists originally concluded from the 1980s data
- The new evidence (kids choosing group activities 4x more when available) directly challenges this belief about natural preferences
1980s research methodology was sufficiently rigorous for studying authentic play preferences.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the research methodology was adequate
- The passage doesn't challenge the research methodology itself, but rather the interpretation of the results
- The same data was used for both conclusions
preschool curricula should emphasize independent skill development over social interaction.
✗ Incorrect
- This is about curriculum recommendations
- The passage doesn't discuss what curricula should emphasize
- This goes beyond what the research findings actually challenge