12345 - Verbal Quiz - Claims / Hypotheses / Arguments 1 / 5 1. Research on productivity in the workplace suggests that employees who take short breaks during their workday to engage in physical activity are more likely to maintain high levels of focus and maintain relatively high job satisfaction. A team of researchers decided to investigate whether this effect would also be observed in self-employed individuals who work from home. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the research hypothesis? a) Self-employed individuals often struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance compared to their office-based counterparts. b) Remote workers who take breaks to exercise are less likely to experience physical health problems than those who do not. c) Companies that offer on-site exercise options for employees are more likely to have high overall job satisfaction ratings. d) Self-employed individuals who incorporated short exercise breaks into their work routine reported higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction compared to those who did not. Explanation: The research hypothesis would be most directly supported if a finding demonstrated that self-employed individuals who take breaks to engage in physical activity also experience increased focus and job satisfaction. If a study found that self-employed individuals who incorporated short exercise breaks into their work routine reported higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction compared to those who did not, this would support the hypothesis. 2 / 5 2. In the field of linguistics, creole languages are commonly thought to have developed from a mixture of two or more parent languages. A prevalent theory suggests that creoles are created through contact between speakers of different languages who use a simplified version of one or both languages for communication, facilitating the development of a new, unique language. Which finding, if true, would most directly support this theory? a) A study of a creole language identifies linguistic structures and vocabulary that are directly derived from its documented parent languages. b) A creole language is found to have developed within a community with no historical contact with any foreign languages. c) The grammar and vocabulary of creole languages are often vastly different from those of their parent languages. d) Many creole languages share common linguistic features, even though their parent languages come from different language families. Explanation: The theory would be most directly supported if a finding demonstrated that a creole language indeed originated from the contact and simplification of two or more parent languages. If a study of a creole language identified linguistic structures and vocabulary from its documented parent languages, this would provide evidence supporting the theory. 3 / 5 3. When environmental management consultant Todd Jarvis set out to determine the effectiveness of drought-prone communities storing and reusing water to achieve water sustainability, he compared various technologies, including rain barrels and cisterns. According to Jarvis, the best long-term solution for water sustainability is promoting and investing in water storage technology that can be easily integrated into communities at a relatively low cost. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Jarvis's argument? a) A program that provided affordable and easily installed rain barrels to drought-prone communities displayed an increase in water storage capabilities, leading to a reduced reliance on outside water sources. b) An alternative technology promises to filter and store water even more efficiently than rain barrels and cisterns, but it is relatively expensive and complex to install. c) Successful water storage projects in drought-prone communities all share a common characteristic: a substantial amount of investment in infrastructure from local government authorities. d) Communities that engage in cooperative water management programs seem to display more responsible water usage practices, even in the absence of specific water storage technologies. Explanation: Jarvis's argument would be most directly supported if a finding demonstrated the effectiveness of easily integrated, low-cost water storage technologies in promoting water sustainability. If an implemented program that provided affordable and easily installed rain barrels to drought-prone communities resulted in a increase in water storage and decreased reliance on outside sources, this would support his argument. 4 / 5 4. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that people can increase their perceived levels of power by engaging in expansive or open body postures commonly referred to as 'power poses', such as standing with one's hands on one's hips or spreading one's arms wide. According to Cuddy, engaging in these postures before a stressful or nerve-wracking event can lead to a higher level of self-esteem and confidence. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Cuddy's theory? a) While power poses can help alleviate stress in the short-term, there is no evidence suggesting that they have lasting effects on a person's overall confidence. b) People who engage in power poses on a daily basis do not seem to show any improvement in their general self-esteem. c) Participants in a study who engaged in power poses before a job interview displayed higher self-esteem and confidence levels compared to those who did not engage in power poses. d) Power poses have been found to be more effective in stimulating a sense of power when performed in front of a mirror. Explanation: Cuddy's theory would be most directly supported if a finding demonstrated the effectiveness of power poses in increasing self-esteem and confidence in stressful situations. If participants in a study who engaged in power poses before a job interview were shown to have higher self-esteem and confidence levels than those who did not engage in power poses, this would support her theory. 5 / 5 5. On the island of Madagascar, the critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) lives in the island's eastern rainforests. The lemurs are essential for the pollination of many plants within the rainforest, as their only food source is nectar, fruit, and leaves of certain plants. Environmentalists have been lobbying for the protection of these lemurs as a way to also conserve the plants that are vital to their ecosystem. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the environmentalists' claim? a) Other pollinating animals live alongside the black-and-white ruffed lemurs, feeding from the same sources but not as efficiently as the lemurs. b) Black-and-white ruffed lemurs have been observed to consume fruit from the trees in the rainforest, contributing to seed dispersal. c) The food sources of the black-and-white ruffed lemurs are found to be abundant in the eastern rainforest, with no visible decline. d) A decrease in the black-and-white ruffed lemur population directly correlates with a decline in the pollination rates of several essential plant species within the eastern rainforest. Explanation: The environmentalists' claim would be most directly supported if a finding demonstrated the lemurs' crucial role in the ecosystem, and that their conservation is ultimately beneficial for the rainforest. If the population decline of the black-and-white ruffed lemur has been found to directly correlate with the decline in the pollination rates of certain plants, this would indicate their importance in the ecosystem and the need for their protection. Your score is 0% Restart Quiz
