Dr. Emily Watson studies how stress affects decision-making. She argues that moderate stress can actually improve performance on cognitive tasks by increasing focus and alertness, though severe stress impairs judgment.
Which research finding would best support Watson's nuanced view?
People report feeling stressed more often than in previous decades
Participants under moderate stress solved puzzles 15% faster than relaxed participants, while severely stressed participants made 40% more errors
Stress is common in high-pressure professions
Exercise can reduce stress levels
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. This shows the U-shaped relationship: moderate stress helps, severe stress hurts.
- Context clues: Watson makes a nuanced claim about moderate vs severe stress.
- Evidence evaluation: 15% improvement (moderate) + 40% more errors (severe) confirms both parts.
- Verify: The inverted-U pattern matches Watson's specific distinction.
💡 Strategy: Nuanced claims about "it depends" need data showing different outcomes under different conditions.
Choice A is incorrect because stress prevalence doesn't address performance effects. Choice C is incorrect because stress frequency doesn't prove performance impacts. Choice D is incorrect because stress reduction methods are unrelated to the performance claim.