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Griffin Epstein
OConnor
1st Honors English 9
29 April 16
Activity 10: Analyzing Stylistic Choices
Consider all of the following aspects of the authors technique, answering the questions below.
Each aspect includes several questions to consider.
1. Relationship Between the Writer and the Reader
Does the writer ask or expect the reader to do anything?
Yes the writer does expect the reader to be doing multiple things. The author infers that the
reader needs to think about there opinion of stereotypes and what they have seen in results to
stereotypes. They should think about whether they are part of the problem of stereotypes a
bystander or are being a victim of self-fulfilling stereotypes. The author wants the reader to help
solve the problem of self-fulfilling stereotypes affecting performances on tests and in life.
Does the writer address the reader as an expert speaking to other experts, or as an
expert speaking to the general reader?
The writer addresses the reader as an expert speaking to other experts as the language is
professional and for the highly educated or informed. However the writer also addresses the
reader as a general reader because the author relays experiences and ideas that will help the
everyday reader in regards to tests, stereotypes, and life.
Does the writer make sure that the reader follows the discussion?
The writer does make the reader follows the discussion by engaging them with real-life
examples that could and might have affected the reader or happened the reader. This keeps the
reader more interested in the topic and makes them feel like they are being talked to.
Does the writer engage the reader through humor, drama, or unusual examples?
No the writer doesn't engage the reader through humor, drama, or unusual examples.
Is the writer hesitant or assertive?
The writer is hesitant often in the regrade to some of the studies presented and especially in
regards to what do about high self-fulfilling stereotype environments SAT scores among those
affected by those environments. While in regards to SAT scores the writer is hesitant the writer
is very assertive in regards to how negative self-fulfilling stereotypes. The writer is very
passionate about stopping self-fulfilling stereotypes.
How much knowledge does the writer assume the reader has?
The writer assumes that the reader has a limited span of information. They believe the reader is
relatively informed and intelligent since the audience is scientists and readers of the Washington
Post. They assume reader knows about SATs and college administration standards but might
not expect the reader to be a scientists who knows everything about stereotypes.
2. Content Choices

What parts of the subject does the author discuss in great detail? What parts are
summarized?
The author discusses SAT scoring and how stereotypes and how college administrators are
judging these scores in high stereotype environments along with if that person is subject to
stereotypes. The author summarizes about how to eliminate self-fulfilling stereotypes from
college environments and the world in general.
What statements does the writer assume as given (and therefore does not back up with
extensive support)?
The writer assumes that we know what a stereotype is and that it very much negatively affects
people. The writer does not elaborate at all on what a stereotype is are how it can be negative
by itself without becoming self-fulling because he assumes does not need to be told that since
they probably already know.
What relevant topics are ignored?
I felt like the relevant topic of how self-fulfilling stereotypes impact minorities and other people in
daily life was largely ignored. While that was not the authors main point I that the addressing of
that topic may have interested the reader and gave a more personal connection to readers that
were not parents of students, students themselves, or college administrators.
What topics could have been discussed but were not?
Topics that could have been talked about include why and how stereotypes started, the
psychology beyond stereotypes, why stereotypes become self-fulfilling stereotypes, and how
the media encourages and makes stereotypes about people.
3. Expansion of Topics
In what ways are individual topics developed? Are arguments given? Are anecdotes told?
Individual topics are devolved often by addressing a study. They introduce the study, inform the
reader whats the study about, how it's relevant to the article, and then analyzes the study and
what it means in regards to the point of the article. The author definitely presents arguments to
certain points and their theme. There were not anecdotes told in this serious article.
Is the reader asked to believe certain ideas or to take certain actions? Is the reader asked
to imagine consequences?
I don't feel like the reader is asked to believe certain ideas. I do feel like the reader is asked to
take certain actions in that author wants the reader to go out in life and help stop self-fulfilling
stereotype environments from forming. I also think the reader is asked to imagine the
consequences of self-fulfilling stereotypes on tests and in a college environment. The reader to
fully understand the authors point most think and realize the consequences of this.
Does the expansion of statements prove the statements or help the reader understand?
Does it keep the reader interested or amused or obscure the issues? Does it develop
implications?
The expansion of statements largely helps prove the statements. This keeps the reader more
interested as they feel like they understand and get what the author is saying. They may be
discovering something new that they had never thought of before. This does develop an
implication for the reader that maybe now that I discovered something I never learned or though
of before if I keep on reading maybe I will find something else new.

4. Choice of Evidence
What types of information are used to support main statements: statistics, anecdotes,
quotations, original observations, scientific theories, legal or philosophical principles,
definitions, appeals to emotion, appeals to the imagination, or appeals to common sense?
The majority of main statements are supported by the scientific studies which often involve a
large amount of statistics. Some also involves philosophical principles of just plain common
sense to convince the reader of the main arguments or statements in the article.
5. Use of Reference
How extensively does the writer rely on other sources? (Are there frequent mentions of
other books or articles?) Do you notice any indirect reference to the work of others?
The author extensively relies of many scientific studies. Really the article would be impossible
without the studies as the main point of the article legs are the new studies that have or are
going to be published. I didn't notice any indirect work of others.
What methods are used to refer to other works? Do they include reference by title only,
paraphrase, summary, or direct quotation?
To refer to other works the author gives the author, the basis of the study, the author than
directly without quotation states the part of the study important to their main argument.
How complete is the documentation and the bibliography?
There is no documentation or bibliography. The author only presents the author's of the study
and their background.
What kinds of material does the writer cite: contemporary newspaper accounts, private
diaries, government documents, specialized scholarly studies, theoretical works, bestselling nonfiction books, statistical reports, or literary works?
The author cites statistical work often done in studies. The author provides work of many
psychologists, sociologists, scientists, and researchers to beck up and provide their argument.
What purpose does the reference serve in the writing? Does the reference provide specific
evidence? Quote directly a person being discussed? Provide an assertion by an authority?
Present an example for analysis? Explain a point? Supply the background of a new idea?
Distinguish between conflicting ideas? Place current work in the context of previous work?
Present an idea to be argued against?
The reference serve as a multitude of uses in the work. The provide specific evidence to the
author's point, give an example of something, provide a platform for analyzing, provide a term
that comes in handy for the author, explain a point the author wants to make that he can with
the reference, and even at one presents an idea that the author can argue against and be
supported by later by that same reference.
6. Level of Precision
Is the subject simplified or presented in all its complexity?
The subject is almost always presented in most of its complexity.
Are all important distinctions brought out?
Yes, when an important distinction is made by the author they will involve elaborate of that and
go into greater detail than the lesser important details.

Are many supporting details given or are only broad principles stated?
There are many supporting details that are given throughout the article that help bring up the
main point of each section.
Are potential difficulties in the argument discussed?
Yes, the author at one point talks about that it would make sense that college administrators
choose a man to enter the college who has the same SAT score as a woman. That is because
the man will perform better in college because he will be more immune to the self-fulfilling
stereotype environment sense men are less subject to stereotypes than women. However the
author then goes on to say that in a study (one of the references) the woman actually perform
better like they are fighting a headwind. The author actually gives an argument against his point
before providing his own argument which gives off the affect of his point being convincing for the
reader.
7. Sentence Structure
Are the sentences short or long? Simple or complex?
The sentences are often long and quite complex.
Are the sentences declarative statements? Do they set up a complex condition (if then .
. .)?
The sentences are often declaring facts. Thus are set up a complex condition to really provide
their point.
Do the sentences have qualifiers (even though . . .)?
There are a few sentences with qualifiers but the majority don't have them.
Do the sentences describe actions?
Most of the sentences don't describe actions though a small percentage do. Many of them focus
on facts that will affect actions.
Do they describe physical qualities?
Some of the sentences describe physical qualities when talking about dealing with how
stereotypes affect people when they become self-fulfilling.
Do they relate actual events to abstract ideas?
Since this article is very scientific it focuses on actual events and what they mean but avoid
abstract ideas.
Do they discuss only abstractions?
This articles audience that has a large proportion being scientists wouldn't like if there were
abstractions give as being abstract if a little anti-science. This article in a way follows the
sometimes straight-thinking, narrow minded minds of science that may be to cater to the
scientific audience.
8. Word Choice
What are the denotative and connotative meanings of the key words?
The denotative and connotative meaning of the keywords are connected to the argument. The
words imply that this is important and a main point of the argument.
How do the specific words the author has chosen affect your response?
The specific words that the author choose like stereotype threat, salient, SAT, etc. affected
my response by that I knew that these words represented the theme and message the author

provided so it was easier to than pick up on the denotative and connotative meanings of the
words.
Which words or synonyms are repeated? Why?
The author uses the word stereotype and stereotype threat a large amount. He also uses
women, college, and SAT a large amount. This is because as you can these words all put
together give of one of the author's more implicit not actually written down meanings. That is
stereotypes provide a stereotype threat which greatly affects minorities ( women in this
example) on their SAT scores and more so how likely they are to get into college based on that
SAT score and how that college administrator treats them based on that score.
What figurative language does the author use? What does it imply?
The author used less figurative language but more professional and advanced words which may
be considered a type of figurative language. As this article is written for a highly educated
audience and in a highly acclaimed publication the work must be advanced and professional
sounding to garner the approval of the publication and the audience reading. This implies that
the author finds this a serious, important, subject and one that may only be able to be fully
comprehended by a highly educated reader. The author may also find this to be a complicated
subject and one that he hopes will not fall on deaf ears as it needs to more addressed in this
world.

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