PrepTest 116, Section 2, Question 3
Cognitive psychologist: In a recent survey, citizens of(97 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(15 more words not shown)
- AMost citizens of(14 more words not shown)
- BMost citizens of(13 more words not shown)
- CMost citizens of(11 more words not shown)
- DMost citizens of(13 more words not shown)
- EMost citizens of(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Would you rather have more money or be ahead of the other country?
Those aren't the same option here. In scenario 1, Country F has a GNP of $100 billion and leads Country G, which has $90 billion. In scenario 2, F has more than before—$110 billion—but G has $120 billion and takes first place. F gains $10 billion by choosing the second scenario, but loses its lead.
Maybe being first matters more to the respondents than having the larger GNP. They might prefer being the big country in the comparison even if their own number is smaller. Or perhaps they see G as a security threat and don't want it becoming more powerful than F. That's a possible motive to consider, not something the survey tells us.
What we’re looking for
We're asked to explain why most respondents prefer scenario 1. I'd look for a reason they value F's position relative to G. That would make the result understandable: they're choosing the advantage they care about, and that advantage isn't simply a higher GNP for F.
Working the answers
- A
A belief about the countries' growth rates doesn't explain the choice between these two stated outcomes. Each scenario already tells us which country leads and what each GNP is. A never says why believing F grows faster would make respondents prefer $100 billion with a lead to $110 billion without one.
- B
They could want more than either scenario offers. That still leaves the question: why choose the smaller amount? F is below $120 billion in both scenarios. A wish for a higher figure doesn't explain their preference between these two lower figures.
- C
If respondents think their personal welfare is unrelated to GNP, that could help explain why F's extra $10 billion doesn't excite them. But it doesn't explain why they favor scenario 1. They might be indifferent between the options or choose either for some other reason. We still need a reason to prefer being ahead of G.
- D
Doubting GNP as a measure of economic health doesn't tell us which scenario respondents prefer either. Both scenarios use that measure. D could make the numbers seem less important, but it supplies no reason to choose the smaller F number that happens to exceed G's.
- ECorrect
Most citizens want F to be more economically powerful than G. Scenario 1 expressly makes F the economic leader; scenario 2 gives that position to G. So the preference fits the goal: respondents accept a smaller GNP for their own country in exchange for being ahead of the other country.
We don't need to know whether that desire comes from pride, security concerns, or something else. The comparison itself explains why more money for F isn't decisive.
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