Question 134·Medium·Command of Evidence
Cognitive scientist Harold Chen set out to test whether performing an additional task while reading hampers comprehension. He reasoned that two tasks relying on the same cognitive resources (verbal processing) should interfere with each other more than tasks that rely on different resources. Accordingly, Chen hypothesized that readers who silently listen to a podcast while reading would show poorer comprehension than readers who merely tap their fingers as they read, because listening draws on verbal processing whereas rhythmic tapping does not.
Which experimental result, if observed, would most directly support Chen’s hypothesis?
For “which result would most support the hypothesis” questions, first rewrite the hypothesis as a clear prediction about which group should do better or worse on the key outcome (here, comprehension). Turn that into a simple expected pattern (e.g., Group A < Group B ≈ Group C), then scan the answer choices and immediately eliminate any that: (1) reverse the pattern, (2) talk about different outcomes (like speed or feelings rather than the stated variable), or (3) don’t specify the needed comparisons. From the remaining options, choose the one that most directly shows the exact predicted difference in the correct direction.
Hints
Clarify the prediction
Before looking at the choices, say out loud (or in your head) what Chen predicts will happen to comprehension in the podcast group compared with the finger-tapping and silent-reading groups.
Focus on the right outcome measure
Look for choices that talk about comprehension (remembering main ideas or quiz performance), not just reading speed or how hard the task feels.
Check direction and comparisons
Ask: In this result, which group actually does worse on comprehension? Does the pattern match the idea that combining two verbal tasks is more harmful than combining a verbal and a nonverbal task?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate Chen’s hypothesis in your own words
Chen thinks that doing two verbal tasks at once interferes more than doing one verbal and one nonverbal task.
- Reading uses verbal processing.
- Listening to a podcast also uses verbal processing.
- Tapping fingers uses rhythmic/motor processing, not verbal.
So his prediction is that listening to a podcast while reading will hurt comprehension more than finger tapping while reading.
Translate the hypothesis into expected results
Ask: If Chen is right, what pattern of comprehension scores should we see?
- The podcast group should have lower comprehension than the finger-tapping group.
- Ideally, the finger-tapping group should look similar to silent readers, because the extra nonverbal task should not seriously hurt comprehension.
So we’re looking for a result where:
- Podcast listeners do worse on comprehension than finger-tappers.
- Finger-tappers are not worse than silent readers (they are similar or just slightly different).
Check each answer against that expected pattern
Now mentally compare each choice’s description to the pattern from Step 2:
- One choice says the finger-tappers actually do worse on comprehension than podcast listeners — that’s the opposite of what Chen predicts.
- Another choice compares reading speed (pages per minute) instead of comprehension, and also says comprehension is similar between the groups — that does not show the predicted interference.
- A third choice talks about perceived mental effort, not about who actually understood the text better, so it doesn’t directly test the hypothesis.
Only one choice directly states that the podcast group has clearly lower comprehension, and that finger-tappers are on par with silent readers.
Match the correct result to the hypothesis
The result that most directly supports Chen’s hypothesis is:
“Readers who tapped their fingers performed as well on a comprehension quiz as readers who read silently, whereas readers who listened to a podcast scored substantially lower on that quiz.”
This exactly matches his prediction: the podcast (verbal–verbal) condition harms comprehension, while finger tapping (verbal–nonverbal) does not.