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Information and Ideas / Inferences Difficulty: Hard

In 2022, Crystal Reeck and colleagues studied whether the decision-making modes that guide consumers influence their choice between nonenvironmentally friendly standard electricity plans and environmentally friendly green plans that cap electricity usage. Study participants who self-reported using either an Affect Mode or Role Mode—which prioritize choices that have a stronger positive emotional or social impact, respectively—were more likely to select a green plan. Conversely, participants using a Calculation Mode—which aims to minimize both financial cost and personal inconvenience—were more likely to select a standard plan, even when the green option was cheaper. This finding suggests that participants using a Calculation Mode blank

Which choice most logically completes the text?

were equally unlikely to factor the financial savings of the green plan into their decision-making as were participants using either the Affect or Role Modes.

may have been less strongly motivated to appear socially responsible with their choice of plan than they realized.

may have determined that the green plan imposed additional burdens on them that were not sufficiently offset by the potential financial savings.

were less likely to believe that the green plan was truly cost-effective than were participants using either the Affect or Role Modes.

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Explanation

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the influence of decision-making modes on consumers’ choices of different electricity plans. The Affect Mode describes choices based on the decision-maker’s preferred emotional outcome, the Role Mode describes choices based on the decision-maker’s social motivations, and the Calculation Mode describes choices based on minimizing financial costs and maximizing the decision-maker’s convenience. Thus, if those using a Calculation Mode disfavor the green plan, it would be due to some financial or convenience burden the green plan imposes that the other doesn’t. The text indicates that the green plan had a lower financial cost but was nonetheless rejected by participants using the Calculation Mode. It therefore follows that the green plan likely imposed a convenience burden that outweighed potential financial savings for these participants.

Choice A is incorrect. According to the text, the Affect Mode involves the decision-maker’s preferred emotional outcome, the Role Mode involves social motivations, and the Calculation Mode is oriented toward minimizing financial costs and maximizing the decision-maker’s convenience. Thus, unlike the Affect or Role Modes, the Calculation Mode would almost certainly involve taking price differences into account. Choice B is incorrect. According to the text, the Affect Mode involves the decision-maker’s preferred emotional outcome, the Role Mode involves social motivations, and the Calculation Mode is oriented toward minimizing financial costs and maximizing the decision-maker’s convenience. Thus, there is no reason to think that participants using the Calculation Mode at any point took social responsibility into account, let alone think that they discovered a disparity between their expectations and reality. Choice D is incorrect. According to the text, the Affect Mode involves the decision-maker’s preferred emotional outcome, the Role Mode involves social motivations, and the Calculation Mode is oriented toward minimizing financial costs and maximizing the decision-maker’s convenience. Thus, the text doesn’t indicate that cost-effectiveness is a factor for participants using the Affect or Role Modes, and there is no basis to compare their beliefs in the truthfulness of the green-plan description with those of the Calculation Mode users.