Media Multitasking Study Quiz

According to the article, what  main conclusion did the teen researchers draw from their work? 

• 1. Young people who have grown up with digital media may do better at multitasking. 

• 1. College students can train themselves to use media while working and studying.

• Adults are typically better at multitasking than teenagers are.

• 1. No one is able to concentrate while bombarded by media.

Which of these excerpts best supports the answer to #1? 

• 1. “Previous research generally has found that people who think they are competent multitaskers actually perform worse . . . .”

• 1. “What our research is suggesting is that maybe our brains as adolescents and digital natives have adapted to this media influence . . . .” 

• “It isn’t clear if the findings would pertain to more demanding situations . . .

• 1. “. .the study and subsequent work by other researchers haven’t been able to answer the question whether the act of heavy media multitasking affects attention.”

 In addition to the teens’ study, the author mentions two other studies.  

1. An earlier study with 100 college-age students found that heavy  

media multitaskers were less effective than people doing one task at a  time. . . .  

2. A study took brain scans of 75 adults but didn’t prove multitasking  was responsible for differences in brain structure. . . . 

How did the various studies most clearly differ?  

• The studies tested subjects in different age groups.

• 1. The studies looked at changes in different parts of the brain.

• 1. Some studies examined multitasking ability in different species. 

• 1. Some studies examined memory, but others examined attention to tasks

What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage?

• 1. To persuade the reader to try different forms of media while doing his or her homework

• 1. To highlight the fact that scientific research about mult-tasking is outdated

• 1. To inform readers about the possibility that some people are successful at multi-tasking. 

• 1. To show that those who focus on a single activity at a time are more successful than those who multitask. 

If you created another title for this story, which of the following would best show the main idea of the whole story? 

• 1. Why Multitasking Is Bad for the Brain

• 1. How People from Different Places Respond to Multitasking

• 1. Students Should Be Allowed to Multitask During School 

• 1. Small Population Excels at Multitasking

What is the meaning of the word classified as used in this excerpt?  

“In the study, participants were classified as high, medium, or low media  multitaskers, using a standardized test developed by researchers at  Stanford University.”

• 1. advanced socially 

• arranged by rank or group

• 1. maintained through hard work 

• 1. limited or somehow incomplete 

 Which word is the best synonym for competent as used in this passage?

“The results are a surprise. Previous research generally has found that  people who think they are competent multitaskers actually perform worse than others who try to focus on one thing at a time.” 

• 1. forced 

• 1. skilled 

• 1. destructive 

• 1. professional

What does the context suggest is the most likely meaning of moderate in this sentence?  

“Of the 403 total participants, 60 were classified in the high group, 50 in the low group, and the rest were moderate media multitaskers.”  

• lesser

• 1. always 

• extreme

• medium

 In this sentence, which phrase helps the reader to understand the meaning of the word subsequent?

“Dr. Wagner said the study and subsequent work by other researchers haven’t been able to answer the question whether the act of heavy media multitasking affects attention and impairs a person’s ability to filter out distractions, or whether the people themselves are naturally that way.”

• 1. work by other researchers

• 1. answer the question 

• 1. heavy media multitasking

• ability to filter out distractions
  

 In this sentence, which phrase helps the reader to understand the meaning of the word detrimental?

“Another finding: Participants in the multitasking room who didn’t receive an email, after being told to expect one, performed worse. “It was the anticipation of receiving an email that was more detrimental to their performance than actually receiving the email,” said Ms. Ulmer.”

• 1. participants in the multitasking room

• 1. being told to expect one

• 1. performed worse

• 1. anticipation