Question 209·Medium·Transitions
Many modern video games are designed to reward players frequently with dazzling visual effects and achievement badges; these elements keep users engaged. ______ researchers have found that such constant reinforcement can decrease players’ intrinsic motivation, making them less likely to enjoy games that lack comparable rewards.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read the sentence before and after the blank and first decide the relationship between them: are you adding a similar idea, showing contrast, giving a cause or result, or indicating time/sequence? Label that relationship in your own words, then match it to the transition type; eliminate any choices whose basic function (like result, similarity, or time) does not fit the logic between the two sentences instead of choosing what "sounds" right.
Hints
Summarize each part
Briefly restate in your own words what the first sentence says and what the second sentence says. Is each one positive, negative, or neutral?
Decide the relationship type
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence giving a cause/effect, a time shift, a similar point, or a contrasting/cautionary point compared to the first sentence?
Match meaning to transition type
Look at each transition's general function (result, time, contrast, similarity) and eliminate those that do not fit the relationship you identified between the two sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first sentence
Paraphrase the first part: many modern video games give players frequent, flashy rewards, and these rewards help keep players engaged. This sets up a positive effect of the game design.
Understand the second sentence
The second part says that researchers have found that this same constant reinforcement can decrease players' intrinsic motivation and make them less likely to enjoy games without such rewards. This introduces a negative or problematic effect.
Identify the logical relationship
Compare the two ideas:
- First: rewards keep users engaged (benefit).
- Second: constant rewards can hurt intrinsic motivation (drawback). These ideas are not happening at the same time, not similar, and the second does not smoothly follow as a straightforward result; instead, the second sentence pushes back against or complicates the positive view. That means the relationship is one of contrast between benefit and drawback.
Match the transition to the relationship
Now test each option:
- A) "Consequently," = result/cause-and-effect
- B) "Meanwhile," = at the same time
- C) "However," = contrast/exception
- D) "Similarly," = adding a similar idea Only a contrast word correctly links a positive statement with a research finding that introduces a downside. Therefore, the best transition is "However," (Choice C).