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In an experiment, one thousand nine-year-old children were allowed to choose whether to participate in a program in which the researchers taught them dance during the daily break from their lessons. Four hundred of the children chose to participate for at least one year. At the end of the year, researchers found that the children who had participated had significantly better balance, on average, than those who had not. The researchers hypothesized that dancing resulted in a sustained improvement in the children's sense of balance.
It would be most helpful in evaluating the researcher's hypothesis to know whether the researchers 1_ prior to having 2_ . Select Researchers for the phrase that fills the blank labeled 1 in the given statement, and select Prior to for the phrase that fills the blank labeled 2 in the given statement to create the most accurate statement on the basis of the information provided. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Researchers
Prior to
tested the children's ability to dance
designed a second experiment
divided the children into the two experimental groups
tested the children's sense of balance
taught dance to the children through the dance program
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| "one thousand nine-year-old children were allowed to choose whether to participate" |
|
| "Four hundred of the children chose to participate for at least one year" |
|
| "children who had participated had significantly better balance, on average" |
|
| "researchers hypothesized that dancing resulted in a sustained improvement" |
|
The question asks us to complete: "It would be most helpful in evaluating the researcher's hypothesis to know whether the researchers _1_ prior to having _2_."
This is asking what information would help evaluate the hypothesis. The biggest threat to the hypothesis is that children who already had better balance might have self-selected into the dance program.
Let's examine each option:
The most logical completion is:
"It would be most helpful in evaluating the researcher's hypothesis to know whether the researchers tested the children's sense of balance prior to having taught dance to the children through the dance program."
"divided the children into the two experimental groups" seems attractive because it relates to group formation, but:
"tested the children's ability to dance" might seem relevant, but:
The correct answer combination gives us exactly what we need: baseline balance measurements before the intervention, which would reveal whether the "improvement" was real or just a reflection of pre-existing differences.