A study question tests what you can conclude from a comparison of groups. Start by naming what each group did, then track each result the researchers measured. If the text reports more than one measure of performance, ask how the groups compare on each. Use those differences to predict the smallest supported conclusion, because doing better on one measure doesn't tell you about another. Keep the conclusion within the study rather than adding claims about people or situations it didn't test.
Hints
- Hint 1
Compare the two groups: what did they do differently while solving the same puzzles?
- Hint 2
The sentence beginning “On average” gives two results to compare. What does finishing time tell you, and what does the number of mistakes tell you?
Step-by-step
Compare both results
Step 1Identify the groups
One group worked while listening to lively music, and the other completed the same puzzles in silence. What changed between them? The puzzles were the same, but the music wasn't, so we can compare how the groups performed. The conclusion needs to follow from that comparison.
- Step 2
Separate speed from accuracy
How did the groups compare on speed and accuracy? The music group finished each puzzle in less time, which means it worked faster. But it also made twice as many mistakes as the silence group, which means its work was less accurate. The results point in different directions, so calling the music group better or worse overall would miss part of what happened.
- Step 3
Keep the conclusion small
The lead-in These results most strongly suggest that asks for a conclusion supported by this comparison. The study supports a possible effect, not a guarantee about every task or person. The choice saying music may increase speed but decrease the accuracy covers both results, and may keeps the conclusion small. Choice C.