Item — sat-dog

? Reading and Writing · None · None · MCQ Q15

Mean Ratings for Patients after 21 Days Mean rating for participants Mea Measure aware of taking a placebo Global improvement 5.0 Symptom severity reduction 92.00 Quality of life improvement 11.4 To test whether a medication is effective, scientists compare for patients taking it and patients taking a placebo (a medica substance). Patients normally aren’t told they’re receiving a p but a research team conducted a study to see if there might b benefit to telling them. The team used various measures to ev participants, with higher ratings indicating greater well-bein measure. Compared to the mean ratings after 21 days for par in the control group, the mean ratings for participants who w of taking a placebo _______ Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to com statement?

A
ranged from 5.0 to 92.00, indicating that well-being varie from participant to participant.
B
were lower for two measures, with the rating for only on indicating greater well-being for these participants.
C
ranged from 3.9 to 46.00, with no rating indicating great well-being in any measure for these participants.
D
were higher for all three measures, indicating greater ove well-being for these participants.

Correct answer: D (parsed from the explanation — this source omits an answer key for this item)

Explanation

Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement comparing the mean ratings for two different groups of participants in a study. The text explains that a research team evaluated the study’s participants using various measures in order to learn whether there might be a medical benefit to telling patients they’re receiving a placebo. The table shows the team’s mean ratings for participants after 21 days for three of the measures: global improvement, symptom severity reduction, and quality of life improvement. According to the table, the mean ratings were higher for all three measures for participants aware of taking a placebo than for participants in the control group. Given that higher ratings indicate greater well-being, as the text states, the mean ratings in the table indicate greater overall well-being for participants aware of taking a placebo than for participants in the control group. Choice A is incorrect because the table doesn’t include data about individual participants; rather, it presents means, or mathematical averages, of ratings. For this reason, no conclusions can be drawn from data in the table about the extent to which well-being may have varied from participant to participant. Choice B is incorrect because according to the table, the mean ratings for participants aware of taking a placebo were higher for all three measures than for participants in the control group, not lower for two of the measures. Choice C is incorrect because 26 SAT PRACTICE TEST #6 ANSWER EXPLANATIONS SAT ANSWER EXPLANATIONS n READING AND WRITING: MODULE 2 it cites data from the table related to participants in the control group, not to participants aware of taking a placebo. Additionally, the mean ratings in the table for participants aware of taking a placebo are higher for all three measures than for participants in the control group. Given that higher ratings indicate greater well-being, as the text states, the ratings in the table for participants aware of taking a placebo indicate greater well-being for these participants in all three measures.

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