Why did the researchers warn that 'further studies would be needed'?

Researchers who study memory have long suspected that sleep plays an active role in learning. In one experiment, two groups of students learned a list of word pairs in the evening. One group slept normally, while the other stayed awake all night. Two days later, both groups were tested after they had recovered. The students who had slept recalled noticeably more word pairs. The researchers concluded that sleep helps the brain to stabilise new information, although they warned that the sample was small and that further studies would be needed before firm advice could be given to students preparing for examinations.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Because a small sample cannot justify firm advice for all students.

  1. Step 1: The warning follows the remark that the sample was small. Step 2. A small sample limits how far the findings can be generalised. Answer: Because a small sample cannot justify firm advice for all students. Why not the others: The results showed a benefit of sleep; the researchers did not say students should avoid sleeping; word difficulty is not mentioned.

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