Comments on: Frequently asked questions about the SAT–answered http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/2013/02/04/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-sat-answered/ Helping parents navigate the college maze Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:33:55 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.13 By: Marc Feder http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/2013/02/04/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-sat-answered/#comment-6746 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:54:04 +0000 http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/?p=3582#comment-6746 Hi Craig,

You bring up an excellent point. What you are referring to can be attributed to what social psychologists call “the law of least effort.” Our brains are programmed to take shortcuts every day, and the authors of the SAT know this.

While the law of least effort is beneficial on a daily basis in terms of dealing with information overload in an efficient manner, it is used against students on the SAT in a way that rewards incomplete intellect.

That is why it is essential, as you stated, to focus on understanding the REAL question at hand, as well as double checking your answer before making it official.

-Marc
Academic Advisor | Veritas Prep

]]> By: Craig Gonzales http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/2013/02/04/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-sat-answered/#comment-6739 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:31:55 +0000 http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/?p=3582#comment-6739 This is an excellent Q&A. To add to the conversation about popular misconceptions, I find that most of my students cannot understand the question.

One of the biggest mistakes these kids make is working through a problem, finding an answer, and selecting that answer, only to find out that they attempted the wrong question.

We spend a lot of time paraphrasing and understanding questions before we learn the tactics or whatever necessary to answer the question.

Craig

]]>