Read the following passage and answer the given questions. Certain words are…
2024
Read the following passage and answer the given questions.
Certain words are highlighted to answer some of the questions. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is increasingly recognized as a key component of success in both personal and professional realms. While men and women may possess similar overall levels of EQ, research consistently shows that they tend to excel in different emotional competencies. Women often score higher in areas such as empathy, interpersonal relationships, and social responsibility, whereas men tend to perform better in assertiveness, stress tolerance, and self-regard (or confidence). These differences lay the foundation for the distinct emotional approaches each gender brings to the workplace, shaped by both biological factors and the powerful process of socialization.
Socialization plays a significant role in determining these gender-specific strengths. From an early age, boys and girls receive different messages about how they should behave. Boys are often ___________ to be competitive, confident, assertive, and decisive, and are taught that winning is of primary importance. Girls, on the other hand, are socialized to be nurturing, empathetic, and emotionally expressive. They learn to value relationships and cooperation over competition. These early experiences influence the development of specific emotional intelligence skills, with boys becoming more assertive and confident and girls excelling in empathy and interpersonal communication.
As boys and girls grow into adults, these learned behaviors are reinforced by societal norms and expectations. In the workplace, these socialized behaviors manifest in ways that can impact professional roles and leadership opportunities. Men’s strengths in assertiveness and self-regard often give them an advantage in competitive environments, helping them excel in leadership positions. Meanwhile, women’s strengths in empathy and interpersonal relationships make them highly effective in teamwork and collaborative settings, though these skills are sometimes undervalued in leadership hierarchies. These gender-based differences in emotional intelligence may contribute to the leadership gender gap. Men's natural tendencies toward assertiveness and confidence can help them rise in hierarchical structures, while women’s empathy and relational strengths are often better suited for team-oriented roles. Recognizing and valuing these differences can help organizations leverage the diverse emotional strengths of both genders, fostering a more balanced and inclusive leadership landscape.
Based on the passage, which of the following can be logically inferred about gender differences in emotional intelligence?
- A.
Women’s strengths in empathy and interpersonal relationships make them more suitable for leadership roles than men.
- B.
Men’s performance in assertiveness and confidence is exclusively the result of societal conditioning, with no biological factors involved.
- C.
Organizations that recognize and value both genders' emotional strengths can create more balanced and effective leadership.
- D.
Women are less likely to succeed in competitive environments because they lack confidence and assertiveness.
- E.
Emotional intelligence competencies between men and women are so different that they cannot effectively collaborate in professional settings.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
A valid inference in reading comprehension is a statement that must follow from what the passage actually says — it stays within the author's claims and does not add value judgments, absolutes, or contradictions. Test each choice against two filters: (1) Is it directly supported by the text? (2) Does it avoid overstating ("more suitable than", "exclusively", "cannot") beyond what the author asserts?
Application
The passage's governing claim is balanced: men and women tend to excel in different emotional competencies, these differences arise from both biological factors and socialization, and each set of strengths has professional value. The concluding sentence states the author's actual takeaway:
“Recognizing and valuing these differences can help organizations leverage the diverse emotional strengths of both genders, fostering a more balanced and inclusive leadership landscape.”
The inference that organizations valuing both genders' emotional strengths can create more balanced and effective leadership is a near-restatement of this conclusion, so it follows logically from the passage.
Contrast with the other choices
The claim that women are more suitable for leadership than men adds a comparative value judgment the passage never makes; the text says women's collaborative strengths are sometimes undervalued, not that they outrank men's.
The claim that men's traits come exclusively from societal conditioning with no biological factors contradicts the text, which credits both biology and socialization.
The claim that women lack confidence and assertiveness and so cannot succeed in competition is an absolute the passage never asserts; it describes tendencies, not deficiencies.
The claim that the competencies are so different that the genders cannot collaborate directly opposes the passage, which argues the differences are complementary.
Result
Only the choice that mirrors the author's balanced, inclusive conclusion qualifies as a logical inference.