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05 Jul 2025, 05:11
Kudos
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IMO Answer is E
The conclusion of the researchers was- The performance gains were caused by the workers' increased perception of their work as mentally engaging and important.
Premise-Researchers studying workplace productivity randomly assigned clerical workers to two equal groups. One group was told that their tasks, though routine, were cognitively demanding and vital to the company's operations. The other group received no such message.
(A) Whether clerical workers who perceive their jobs as important are more likely to remain in their positions long term- IRRELEVANT to the argument
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message- This is another reason for the outcome but does not suggest anything about increased perception about work. -INCORRECT
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks- the argument only taks about increased perception between the two groups, prior experience in clerical work does not add much, hence INCORRECT
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message-IRRELEVANT
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding- CORRECT- this is very important for evaluating our argument, as even before the experiment, if the workers thought the work they did was important, then nothing can explain the before and after experiment result whereas if as option E suggests, if routine clerical tasks were perceived as cognitively undemanding and then after being told that their tasks were cognitively demanding and vital to the company's operations, then the conclusion is valid.
The conclusion of the researchers was- The performance gains were caused by the workers' increased perception of their work as mentally engaging and important.
Premise-Researchers studying workplace productivity randomly assigned clerical workers to two equal groups. One group was told that their tasks, though routine, were cognitively demanding and vital to the company's operations. The other group received no such message.
(A) Whether clerical workers who perceive their jobs as important are more likely to remain in their positions long term- IRRELEVANT to the argument
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message- This is another reason for the outcome but does not suggest anything about increased perception about work. -INCORRECT
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks- the argument only taks about increased perception between the two groups, prior experience in clerical work does not add much, hence INCORRECT
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message-IRRELEVANT
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding- CORRECT- this is very important for evaluating our argument, as even before the experiment, if the workers thought the work they did was important, then nothing can explain the before and after experiment result whereas if as option E suggests, if routine clerical tasks were perceived as cognitively undemanding and then after being told that their tasks were cognitively demanding and vital to the company's operations, then the conclusion is valid.
SSWTtoKellogg
Joined: 06 Mar 2024
Last visit: 27 Apr 2026
Posts: 91
Given Kudos: 20
Location: India
Schools: INSEAD Jan '27
GMAT Focus 1: 595 Q83 V78 DI77 
GMAT Focus 2: 645 Q87 V79 DI79
GPA: 8.8
05 Jul 2025, 05:12
Kudos
Bookmarks
Researchers studying workplace productivity randomly assigned clerical workers to two equal groups. One group was told that their tasks, though routine, were cognitively demanding and vital to the company's operations. The other group received no such message. Over the following month, the first group showed a significant increase in typing speed and error reduction, despite working the same number of hours under identical conditions. The researchers hypothesized that the performance gains were caused by the workers' increased perception of their work as mentally engaging and important.
Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the researchers’ hypothesis?
Cause : Perception increase ; Effect : Performance increase
we need to find some option where other cause should not factor in for G1.
(A) Whether clerical workers who perceive their jobs as important are more likely to remain in their positions long term
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding
Answer B.
Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the researchers’ hypothesis?
Cause : Perception increase ; Effect : Performance increase
we need to find some option where other cause should not factor in for G1.
(A) Whether clerical workers who perceive their jobs as important are more likely to remain in their positions long term
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding
Answer B.
05 Jul 2025, 05:33
Kudos
Bookmarks
(A) Whether clerical workers who perceive their jobs as important are more likely to remain in their positions long term
Worker retention is irrelevant to whether perceived importance caused short-term performance gains.
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message
If the first group reduced personal distractions (checking phones, chatting...) after receiving the message, that could explain the productivity boost.
CORRECT
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks
Prior experience should be balanced due to random assignment, so this is unlikely to explain the difference.
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message
Pay satisfaction is unrelated to the hypothesis about perceived task importance and mental engagement.
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding
This is about general perceptions of clerical work, not whether the message caused the specific performance gains observed.
IMO B
Worker retention is irrelevant to whether perceived importance caused short-term performance gains.
(B) Whether those in the first group changed their time spent on personal distractions after receiving the message
If the first group reduced personal distractions (checking phones, chatting...) after receiving the message, that could explain the productivity boost.
CORRECT
(C) Whether both groups were equally likely to have prior experience in clerical tasks
Prior experience should be balanced due to random assignment, so this is unlikely to explain the difference.
(D) Whether the workers in the first group reported greater satisfaction with their pay after receiving the message
Pay satisfaction is unrelated to the hypothesis about perceived task importance and mental engagement.
(E) Whether routine clerical tasks are commonly perceived as cognitively undemanding
This is about general perceptions of clerical work, not whether the message caused the specific performance gains observed.
IMO B
