GRE General TestAnalytical WritingMedium
A university dean argues that requiring all students to complete a capstone research project in their final year significantly enhances their critical thinking skills. The dean cites a study showing that students who completed the capstone project scored 15% higher on a standardized critical thinking assessment than students who did not. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the dean's conclusion?
- AOther universities have found that incorporating critical thinking exercises throughout the curriculum is more effective than a single capstone project.
- BThe standardized critical thinking assessment used in the study is not universally recognized as the most accurate measure of critical thinking.
- CStudents who choose to undertake a capstone project are generally those who already possess stronger critical thinking skills.
- DThe capstone project requires a substantial time commitment, which may reduce students' participation in extracurricular activities.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Students who choose to undertake a capstone project are generally those who already possess stronger critical thinking skills.
The dean concludes that the capstone project *enhances* critical thinking. If students who *choose* to do the project already have stronger critical thinking skills, then the higher scores might be due to their pre-existing abilities (self-selection bias) rather than the project itself, undermining the causal claim.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This suggests an alternative, potentially better, method but doesn't invalidate the claim that the capstone project *does* enhance critical thinking, merely that it might not be optimal.
- B. While questioning the assessment's accuracy, it doesn't directly explain *why* the capstone students scored higher relative to the others, or that the project *didn't* enhance skills.
- D. This points to a potential negative side effect but does not undermine the claim that the project enhances critical thinking skills.
Self-Selection Bias
Self-selection bias occurs when individuals choose to participate in a study or group, and this choice is correlated with the outcome being measured, making it difficult to determine causality.
- Participants are not randomly assigned.
- Their choice to participate influences the results.
- Often leads to spurious correlations.
Memory trick: Research needs balance, or bias takes hold.