A study question asks what you can infer from the results of a comparison. Read the sentence leading into the blank to see what kind of conclusion you need. Then name what each group did and how each group did on the same test. A cause shared by both groups can't explain a difference between them, so look for what changed. Limit your claim, because a study can't settle claims about things it never tested.
Hints
- Hint 1
Both groups learned the same word list. Compare what they did after lunch.
- Hint 2
Look for which group recalled more words. How does that result connect to what the groups did differently?
Step-by-step
Compare the groups and limit the claim
Step 1Identify what changed
Both groups spent the morning learning a list of unfamiliar words, so they studied the same material. What changed after lunch? One group took a 45-minute nap, while the other stayed awake and quietly read magazines. Their midday routines differed, so our inference needs to connect that difference to their later recall.
- Step 2
Explain the difference in recall
Later in the afternoon, the nap group correctly recalled significantly more words than the group that stayed awake. What can explain the higher score? Both groups studied the same words and took an afternoon test, so what the groups had in common can't explain the gap. What they did at midday is linked to how well they remembered the list.
- Step 3
Make the smallest supported conclusion
What can we infer about how well people remember new information? A brief nap after studying can help recall, without proving a benefit for everyone every time. The choice's can improve allows for times when a nap might not help. Choice D.