Q16 - In a study, shoppers who

[dan]

16. (C)
Question type: Application
That those who shop with a list spend less money than those who don’t use a list isn’t a significant paradox, because it’s uncertain what impact a list has on overall costs. The paradox has to do with the sale items and their impact on overall cost _ we would expect that buying items on sale would cost less, not more. The correct answer must explain this particular paradoxical point, and answer choice (C) does exactly that. If the shopper purchased items that were significantly more expensive, even after sales discounts have been factored in, he could have spent more money than if he purchased less expensive, non-sale items.

(A) is irrelevant to the paradox.
(B) is an attractive answer, but this would impact the number of items purchased, not the amount spent on those items, and the number of items purchased, which remained steady, is not of primary relevance here.
(D) is irrelevant to the paradox.
(E) is irrelevant to the paradox.

[velvet]

So we are to take the "comparable" in the passage to mean that the two shoppers bought exactly the same number of items, and that is why (B) is out?

[porsupuesto3798]

I believe so. The word comparable means similar. So number is not an issue here, it is the single price that matters

[jamiejames]

When I read C,ni figured that it's possible that expensive items can be put on sale for half price, which would make them very cheap, so being expensive doesn't necessarily mean anything.

[acechaowang]

The way how i see B is incorrect is that it still does not address the paradox. Buying unnecessary items could still result in fewer spending then the shopper has a list, C directly touched on the premise so it is the right answer here.