A recent sociological study found that more than 40% of the members of...
Explanation: B is correct because the researchers assert that growing up in a family of divorce leads to greater religiosity. It is therefore important to know if people began practicing a religion after the divorce, or if they have continued the same religious practice they had as children before the divorce.
A is incorrect because while it tells us about current behavior, it does not tell us about whether or not the divorce of one's parents leads a person to become religious.
C is incorrect because it only tells us that some adult children of divorce become atheists. The group is unlikely to be as large as the church, and therefore it is difficult to compare the samples.
D is incorrect because it only tells us how common divorce is and perhaps how many children experience the divorce of their parents each year. It tells us nothing about religious behavior.
E is incorrect because facilitating such a group might lead to discussions of religious behavior, but it is not systematic or focused. The sample is also likely to be quite small and nonrandom since people choose to go into such groups.
View all questions of this test
A recent sociological study found that more than 40% of the members of...
Testing the Researchers' Conclusions
Background:
A recent sociological study found that over 40% of the members of a large conservative Christian church were adult children of divorce. The researchers concluded that growing up in a family with divorce leads people to become more religious.
Objective:
To test the researchers' conclusions about the relationship between growing up in a family with divorce and becoming more religious.
Possible Testing Options:
a) Interview a large random sample of adult children of divorce to see if they are also very religious.
- This option would provide insight into the religious beliefs and practices of adult children of divorce.
- However, it may not allow for a direct comparison to the members of the conservative Christian church, as the sample would be random and not specifically selected from the church.
b) Interview the congregants of the large conservative church to find out if they grew up in the church or converted as adults.
- This option directly tests the researchers' conclusions by gathering information from the congregants of the conservative Christian church.
- By determining if they grew up in the church or converted as adults, it can be assessed whether growing up in a family with divorce influenced their religious affiliation.
- This option is the best choice as it directly tests the relationship between divorce and religious affiliation among the members of the conservative Christian church.
c) Interview a local atheist group to see how many adult children of divorce are among its members.
- While this option could provide some insights into the religious beliefs of adult children of divorce, it does not directly test the researchers' conclusions.
- The focus here is on a different group (atheists) and their relationship with divorce rather than the impact of divorce on religious affiliation.
d) Gather statistics on how many marriages end in divorce each year.
- This option focuses on divorce rates but does not directly test the researchers' conclusions about the relationship between divorce and becoming more religious.
- It provides general information about divorce but does not address the specific context of the study.
e) Facilitate a therapy group for adult children of divorce.
- While this option may provide valuable insights into the experiences of adult children of divorce, it does not directly test the researchers' conclusions about religiosity.
- The focus here is on therapy and support, rather than investigating the relationship between divorce and religious affiliation.
Conclusion:
Among the given options, interviewing the congregants of the large conservative church to determine if they grew up in the church or converted as adults is the best way to test the researchers' conclusions. This option directly investigates the relationship between growing up in a family with divorce and religious affiliation among the members of the church in question.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed GMAT study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in GMAT.