Self-study
Long-distance runners use two different kinds of cognitive strategies: "associative" and "dissociative." Associative strategies involve attending closely to physical sensations, while dissociative strategies involve mostly ignoring physical sensations. ███████████ ███████████ ██████ ████████████ █████ ███████ ██ ████ █████████████ ████ ████ ██████ ██ ██████ ██████████ ███████ ████ ████ █ ████ █████ ██ ██ █████████ ███ █████████████ ███████ ██ █████ █ ████ ████████ ██████████ ████████
Summary
Long-distance runners either use an “associative” or “dissociative” strategy. Associative strategies closely tune runners into physical sensations, while dissociative strategies ignore physical sensations. Associative strategies require concentration to the point of causing mental exhaustion lasting more than a day. Dissociative strategies do not have this effect. For long-distance runners, it is important to go into a race mentally fresh.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Long-distance runners should probably not use associative strategies while running the day before a race.
2.
Which one of the following ████ █████████ █████████ ███ █████████
a
long-distance runners should ███ ████ ███████ ██ ███████████ ██████████ ██████ ████████ ███ ███ ██████ ████ ███ ██ █ ████
This answer is strongly supported. Since we know from the stimulus that associative strategies can cause mental exhaustion lasting more than one day, and long-distance runners need to enter a race mentally refreshed, they should not rely heavily on these strategies the day before a race.
b
unless they regularly █████ █████ ███████████ ███████████ █████████████ ███████ ██████ ███ ████████████ ██████████ ██████ █████
This answer is unsupported. The stimulus never suggested what strategy a long-distance runner should use during a race. Rather, the stimulus is about strategies runners use before a race.
c
maximizing the benefits ██ ████████ ███ █████████████ ███████ ████████ ██████████ ███████████ ███████████ ███ ████████████ ██████████
This answer is unsupported. The stimulus never suggested to alternate between strategies. We know some effects of each strategy, but not how they might interact.
d
long-distance runners are █████ ██████ ███████ ███████ █████ ███ ███ ████████████ ██████████ ██████ █████ ███ █████ ███ ███ ███████████ ██████████ ██████ █████
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus what proportion of long-distance runners use either strategy when running. It is equally possible that most use one over the other.
e
in long-distance running, ████████████ ██████████ ███ █████████ ████ █████████ ███ █ █████ ████████ ███ ████ ███ ███████████ ██████████
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know whether dissociative strategies are more effective than associative strategies. The only difference in effect the stimulus discusses is mental exhaustion.