Researchers designed an experiment to test whether colonies of ants could choose a high-quality nest site from many options more...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
Researchers designed an experiment to test whether colonies of ants could choose a high-quality nest site from many options more effectively than could individual ants. Colonies and individual ants were both given two levels of tasks: choosing between two nest sites, or choosing from among eight nest sites. In both tasks, half the sites were unsuitable. Researchers discovered that individual ants made much worse decisions when faced with eight options than when faced with two, suggesting that they experienced a cognitive overload. Colonies, on the other hand, chose equally well with either two or eight options, showing that they could better solve the more complex problem as a collective.
According to the experimental results, when the researchers increased the number of site choices, X _ were more likely to choose Y _than when the researchers presented fewer site choices. Select for X and for Y the options that jointly complete the sentence in a manner consistent with the information provided. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Phase 1: Owning the Dataset
First, Create an Argument Analysis Table
| Passage Statement | Analysis & Implications |
| "Researchers designed an experiment to test whether colonies of ants could choose a high-quality nest site from many options more effectively than could individual ants" |
|
| "Colonies and individual ants were both given two levels of tasks: choosing between two nest sites, or choosing from among eight nest sites" |
|
| "In both tasks, half the sites were unsuitable" |
|
| "Individual ants made much worse decisions when faced with eight options than when faced with two" |
|
| "Colonies, on the other hand, chose equally well with either two or eight options" |
|
Second, Identify Key Patterns
Established Facts:
- Individual ants performed worse with 8 choices than with 2 choices
- Colonies performed equally well with 8 choices as with 2 choices
- "Worse decisions" means choosing unsuitable sites instead of high-quality sites
- The difference only affected individuals, not colonies
Key Relationship: When choices increased from 2 to 8, individual ants (but not colonies) became more likely to select unsuitable nest sites.
Phase 2: Question Analysis & Prethinking
First, Understand What Each Part Asks
The question asks us to complete: "When the researchers increased the number of site choices, X were more likely to choose Y than when the researchers presented fewer site choices."
- Part 1 (X): Who/what was affected by the increase in choices?
- Part 2 (Y): What were they more likely to choose?
- Relationship: X must be something that performed differently with more choices, and Y must be what they chose more often
Second, Generate Valid Inferences (Prethinking)
For Part 1 (X):
- Must be individual ants (they performed worse with more choices)
- Cannot be colonies (they performed equally well)
- Should specify "individual ants, but not colonies" to be precise
For Part 2 (Y):
- Must be "unsuitable nest site" (this is what "worse decisions" means)
- Cannot be "high-quality nest site" (they chose these less often, not more)
Phase 3: Answer Choice Evaluation
Evaluating Options for X:
- "several nest sites" - Not an entity that makes choices
- "an unsuitable nest site" - This is what was chosen, not who chose
- "a high-quality nest site" - This is what was chosen, not who chose
- "individual ants, but not colonies of ants" - ✓ Matches our inference perfectly
- "colonies of ants, but not individual ants" - Backwards; colonies weren't affected
- "both individual ants and colonies of ants" - False; only individuals were affected
Evaluating Options for Y:
- "several nest sites" - They chose one site, not several
- "an unsuitable nest site" - ✓ This is what individuals chose more often with 8 options
- "a high-quality nest site" - They chose these less often, not more
- "individual ants, but not colonies of ants" - This describes who, not what was chosen
- "colonies of ants, but not individual ants" - This describes who, not what was chosen
- "both individual ants and colonies of ants" - This describes who, not what was chosen
Answer Selection Process
Part 1 Selection (X): "individual ants, but not colonies of ants" - This precisely captures who was affected by the increase in choices.
Part 2 Selection (Y): "an unsuitable nest site" - This is what individual ants were more likely to choose when faced with more options.
Verification: The complete sentence reads: "When the researchers increased the number of site choices, individual ants, but not colonies of ants were more likely to choose an unsuitable nest site than when the researchers presented fewer site choices."
This perfectly matches the passage's findings that individual ants made "much worse decisions" (chose unsuitable sites more often) with 8 options, while colonies "chose equally well" with either number of options.