SAT OwlIn a study by psychologist Ilse Brandt, participants read the same set of instructions for a stretching routine. Half saw the instructions printed in a plain, easy-to-read typeface; the other half saw them in an ornate script that was difficult to read. Participants in the second group estimated that the routine would take nearly twice as long to complete and were less willing to try it. Brandt's findings suggest that people ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
can accurately judge how long a task will take from a brief description of it.
prefer ornate typefaces to plain ones when reading instructions.
may mistake the effort of reading about a task for the effort the task itself requires.
are more likely to try a task if its instructions are long and detailed.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Both groups read identical instructions, yet the group with the hard-to-read script judged the routine to be much longer and harder. The difficulty of reading seems to have colored their view of the task itself, choice C.
Choice B is tempting because typefaces are what changed, but the study measured time estimates and willingness to try the routine, not which typeface people liked.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The two groups read identical instructions but gave very different estimates, so their judgments were not accurate.
- B. The study measured estimates and willingness to try the routine, not which typeface participants preferred.
- D. The instructions were the same length for both groups. Only the typeface changed.
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