Sports psychologist: Competing against other athletes can have a positive effect on athletic performance, even when the outcome of the competition is inconsequential. Two groups of amateur cyclists adhered to the same training program, but members of one group were provided with objective data on their performance and the performance of the other group members, while the second group was given no information. The cyclists who were able to compare themselves to other group members had a significantly greater average improvement in strength and speed during the program than those who were given no data.

Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the psychologist’s interpretation of the study?

Answer Choices

Correct answer marked below

Athletes who frequently compete against others are more likely to adhere closely to a training program than those who rarely or never compete.

When members of a third group of cyclists were provided with data on their own performance but not on that of other group members, they performed no better than those who received no data.

Correct

Cyclists in the study who scored higher on psychological tests of competitiveness performed better on the fitness tests than those who earned low scores.

Stronger amateur cyclists are more likely than weaker cyclists to choose to participate in competitions.

All cyclists in the group that was given data improved their performance significantly during the training program, while several cyclists in the group that was given no data failed to improve at all.

See the full step-by-step explanation

You can see the correct answer above. Sign in for free to unlock the complete worked solution.

Track your performance and improve

Get detailed analytics, unlock full explanations, and move up difficulty tiers as you practice.

Start for free Sign in

Explanation

Unlock the full explanation

Create a free account to reveal the correct answer, see the step-by-step explanation, and start tracking your GMAT progress.

Create free account Sign in

Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts and help others understand it better.

What this question tests

What it tests

Whether you can identify the option that most bolsters an argument's conclusion.

Common trap

Choosing an option that is consistent with the argument but adds no new support, or that shifts the topic.