Think You Know the Best Way to Learn? This SAT Question Might Surprise You!
- Wallace English
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Struggling with reading questions that dive into psychology, linguistics, or research studies? You're not alone. The SAT loves to challenge your understanding of studies and hypotheses—and this question about debate vs. discussion formats is the perfect example. Below, you’ll find the full question, a detailed breakdown, and an explanation that will sharpen your skills for test day.
Linguist Deborah Tannen has cautioned against framing contentious issues in terms of two highly competitive perspectives, such as pro versus con. According to Tannen, this debate-driven approach can strip issues of their complexity and, when used in front of an audience, can be less informative than the presentation of multiple perspectives in a noncompetitive format. To test Tannen’s hypothesis, students conducted a study in which they showed participants one of three different versions of local news commentary about the same issue. Each version featured a debate between two commentators with opposing views, a panel of three commentators with various views, or a single commentator.
Which finding from the students’ study, if true, would most strongly support Tannen’s hypothesis?
A) On average, participants perceived commentators in the debate as more knowledgeable about the issue than commentators in the panel.
B) On average, participants perceived commentators in the panel as more knowledgeable about the issue than the single commentator.
C) On average, participants who watched the panel correctly answered more questions about the issue than those who watched the debate or the single commentator did.
D) On average, participants who watched the single commentator correctly answered more questions about the issue than those who watched the debate did.
Ready to see how you did?
Click your answer choice below to reveal the correct response—along with a clear explanation to boost your SAT skills and strategy!
Answer A
Answer B
Answer C
Answer D
Too easy? Check our other posts for more examples.
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