the michigan
difference
correlate the average number of people showing up to take the SAT at a state’s test-taking venue versus the state’s average SAT scores — there was an inverse correlation: the more people who showed up on average at a particular venue, the lower the average scores.” Garcia also says that they controlled for variables
Take the Test!
such as parents’ educational level, the percentage of ethnic minorities taking the test, and the percentage of those who also took the ACT. Once they had observed the pattern in this “real world” data, Garcia and Tor set up a number of experiments on campus and via email to further test for the effect. In one typical experiment, they invited undergrads to participate in a competition. Subjects were asked to take an easy quiz (sample questions included “Who’s the President of U-M? ” and “True or False: Michigan is shaped like a shoe”) with the top 20 percent of competitors winning a cash prize. But some subjects were told there were only 10 total competitors,
How Do You Score? In 1926, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, was administered to high school students for the first time. By 1948 it had become the recognized college admissions exam nationally. Now known as the SAT Reasoning Test, it takes slightly less than four hours to complete and covers math, critical reading, and writing. Possible scores range from 600 to 2400 based on the three 800-point sections. Here are some sample SAT questions. Do you remember it being harder or easier when you were in high school? (Answers are provided at the bottom of the page.) Reading
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
1 The students who had the flu had a(n)__________reason for missing school. They normally have perfect attendance, and their absence that day was a(n)__________ .
while others were told there were 100.
A unjustifiable . . . travesty B legitimate . . . aberration C unwarranted . . . anomaly D sensible . . . farce E inconsolable . . . fluke
And despite the fact that, statistically, the odds for “winning” were the same in each group, Garcia reports that the students in the 10 condition performed significantly faster than the ones in the 100 condition. The N Effect seems to stem from how you rate yourself against others. “Social
2 The threat of rain didn’t __________ her stroll through the grounds. Even the first drops were no __________, and she continued her walk.
comparison concerns go down as the
A hinder . . . incentive B thwart . . . refuge C impede . . . deterrent D permit . . . provocation E prevent . . . enticement
number of competitors increase,” Garcia says. This may have an impact on the ongoing debate about class sizes, intimating that smaller classes provide students with a higher motivation to succeed. Garcia even detected the N Effect in his own past. “When I first took the SAT exam, I recall that test-takers were assigned to one of four or five classrooms at a local high school,” he recalls. “However, the second time I took the SAT, there were lots of other test-takers — the parking lot was crowded, and I had no idea how many classrooms were being used. Not surprisingly, the pat-
Noontime Temperatures in Hilo, Hawaii M 66
Tu 78
W 75
Th 69
F 78
Sa 77
Su 70
4 The table above shows the temperatures, in degrees Fahrenheit, in a city in Hawaii over a one-week period. If m represents the median temperature, f represents the temperature that occurs most often, and a represents the average (arithmetic mean) of the seven temperatures, which of the following is the correct order of m, f, and a? A a < m < f B a < f < m C m < a < f D m < f < a E a = m < f
Writing
Read choices (A) through (E). Replace the sentence below with one that is clear and precise and meets the requirements of standard written English.
5 She was at the top of the rollercoaster looking down and she was made to feel sick.
Math
Solve the problems below.
3 If k is divisible by 2, 3, and 15, which of the following is also divisible by these numbers? A k + 5 B k + 15 C k + 20 D k + 30 E k + 45
A She was at the top of the rollercoaster looking down and she was made to feel sick. B The rollercoaster, looking down from the top, made her feel sick. C Looking down from the top of the rollercoaster made her feel sick. D The top of the rollercoaster, looking down, made her feel sick. E Watching down made her feel sick at the top of the rollercoaster.
tern of my two SAT scores exhibited the N Effect: My score was significantly higher the Answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 D, 4 A, 5 C
first time compared to the second time.” n
Fall 2012 / LSA Magazine
53