# The psychology of innovation: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 10, Test 1, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 10, Test 1, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | C | Presley, Cash, Perkins and Lewis instinctively understood Phillips's ambition and believed in it. ... Orbison wasn't inspired by the goal |
| 28 | A | they were aware that they weren't the most intelligent of the scientists pursuing the answer. |
| 29 | D | even something as simple as writing deepens every individual's engagement in the project. ... The very act of writing makes us more likely to believe it. |
| 30 | B | assure all concerned that every recommendation is important to making the right decision and will be given full attention. |
| 31 | G | two years after they join, they're still at the company. |
| 32 | E | When things change, we are hard-wired to play it safe. |
| 33 | A | we invariably take more gambles when threatened with a loss than when offered a reward. |
| 34 | F | the regrettable tendency of team members to opt out of team responsibilities that are properly theirs |
| 35 | B | This environment encouraged a free interchange of ideas |
| 36 | NO | who find that their environment doesn't make them feel at all creative. |
| 37 | YES | almost every individual can be creative in the right circumstances. |
| 38 | NOT GIVEN | three people will be better than one at solving problems, even if that one person is the smartest person in the field. |
| 39 | NOT GIVEN | And there are those who don't have a budget, or much space, but who innovate successfully. |
| 40 | NO | peer power, used horizontally not vertically, is much more powerful than any boss's speech. |

## Why these answers are right

**27. C.** The photograph supports Cialdini's point about value fit. Paragraph C says the four singers understood and believed in Sam Phillips's ambition, while Orbison, a greater singer, was not inspired by the goal and had one hit. The lesson is about a shared objective, C.

**28. A.** Watson explains why he and Crick beat their rivals. He says they succeeded because they knew they were not the most intelligent scientists chasing the answer, unlike Rosalind Franklin, who rarely sought advice. Knowing this means being conscious of their limitations, A.

**29. D.** Paragraph H uses cereal competitions to show that writing deepens engagement. Entrants wrote why they liked the cereal, and the writer says the very act of writing makes us more likely to believe what we wrote, which is strengthening commitment to an idea, D.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-psychology-of-innovation/answers).

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