Question 111·Hard·Cross-Text Connections
Text 1
Organizational psychologist Dr. Elaine Park contends that a company’s creativity inevitably declines when employees work remotely. Park argues that the spontaneous hallway conversations and impromptu white-board sessions that spark innovation in an office cannot be reproduced online, so virtual teams are destined to generate fewer novel ideas.
Text 2
Sociologist Marcus Lowe analyzed five years of patent data from multinational firms and found that remote teams produced breakthrough inventions at rates comparable to, and sometimes higher than, those of their in-office counterparts. Lowe concludes that creativity depends less on physical proximity than on giving individuals time to reflect and on using digital platforms that let diverse voices contribute. He suggests that remote work can even broaden the range of ideas by including employees who are often left out of on-site conversations.
Which choice best describes how Lowe (Text 2) would respond to Park’s claim (Text 1) that remote work hinders creativity?
For cross-text connection questions, quickly summarize each text’s central claim in a few words and identify the relationship (agree, disagree, qualify). Then choose the option that restates how Text 2’s evidence and reasoning directly responds to Text 1, eliminating choices that add new claims, overstate what the text says (for example, turning “sometimes” into “always”), or attribute concessions the author never makes.
Hints
Clarify each author’s main point
First, restate in your own words what Park claims about remote work and creativity, and then what Lowe concludes about remote teams and creativity based on his data.
Decide whether Lowe agrees or disagrees
Does Lowe’s evidence support Park’s view that remote work harms creativity, or does it challenge that view? Focus on Park’s word “inevitably” and Lowe’s patent results.
Name what Lowe says matters most
In Text 2, what does Lowe claim creativity depends on? Identify whether being physically together is presented as essential or as less important than other factors.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand Park’s main claim in Text 1
Focus on what Dr. Elaine Park is saying about remote work and creativity.
Key points from Text 1:
- She says a company’s creativity “inevitably declines” when employees work remotely.
- She believes spontaneous hallway conversations and impromptu white-board sessions in an office “cannot be reproduced online.”
- Therefore, she concludes that virtual teams will generate fewer novel ideas.
In short, Park claims: remote work harms creativity because it removes in-person, spontaneous interactions.
Understand Lowe’s findings and conclusion in Text 2
Now look at what Marcus Lowe actually found and what he concludes.
Key points from Text 2:
- He studied five years of patent data from multinational firms.
- He found that remote teams produced breakthrough inventions at rates comparable to, and sometimes higher than, in-office teams.
- He concludes that creativity depends on time to reflect and digital platforms that let diverse voices contribute.
- He suggests remote work can broaden the range of ideas by including people who are left out of on-site conversations.
So Lowe’s evidence shows: remote teams can be just as creative (or more) without relying on physical proximity.
Compare Lowe’s stance to Park’s claim
Connect the two texts directly.
- Park: remote work inevitably reduces creativity because office proximity enables spontaneous collaboration.
- Lowe: remote teams produce breakthroughs at comparable or higher rates; creativity is driven by reflection time and inclusive digital tools, not primarily by being co-located.
So Lowe would disagree with Park’s claim and challenge the idea that physical proximity is essential for creativity.
Match that relationship to the answer choices
Test each option against what Lowe actually says.
- Option 1: Overstates Lowe’s finding by saying remote work consistently leads to more breakthroughs and adds an unsupported reason (“fewer distractions”). Lowe says sometimes higher, not always, and he doesn’t base his claim on distraction.
- Option 2: Attributes a concession Lowe never makes. Lowe does not say creativity generally lowers under remote work; he says remote teams are comparable or higher.
- Option 4: Repeats Park’s core claim (“fewer novel ideas”) and introduces a new distinction (patents measure execution, not creativity) that Text 2 does not make.
- Option 3: Directly matches Lowe’s conclusion that creativity depends less on physical proximity than Park assumes.
Therefore, the correct answer is By arguing that creativity depends less on physical proximity than Park assumes.