Question 133·Easy·Inferences
A study examined how background music affects task performance. One group of participants solved word-search puzzles while listening to lively music, and another group completed the same puzzles in silence. On average, the music group finished each puzzle in less time but made twice as many mistakes as the silence group. These results most strongly suggest that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For inference questions about studies, first restate the key result in your own words: identify exactly what changed, for whom, and how. Then scan the options and eliminate any that (1) introduce new ideas not in the passage (like preferences, abilities, or conditions never mentioned), (2) directly contradict the data, or (3) use absolute language such as "always" or "no effect" that the study does not justify. Choose the option that most closely and moderately reflects the reported findings without going beyond them.
Hints
Focus on the outcome details
Reread the sentences that describe what happened to the group with music and the group in silence. What changed for each group in terms of how fast they worked and how accurately they worked?
Check what the study did and did NOT measure
Ask yourself: Did the researchers measure enjoyment of music, multitasking ability, or how familiar the participants were with the puzzles? Be careful not to pick an option that talks about things the study never mentioned.
Watch for extreme or absolute language
Look for words like "always" or "no effect." Do the study results support such strong claims, or do they only show a pattern under the specific conditions described?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate what the study compared
The passage describes an experiment with two groups:
- One group solved word-search puzzles with lively background music.
- The other group solved the same puzzles in silence.
We are asked what these results "most strongly suggest," so our answer must be closely based on the data given.
Understand the key results
The passage tells us that, on average:
- The music group finished each puzzle in less time.
- The music group made twice as many mistakes as the silence group.
So, under the music condition, people completed the task more quickly but with poorer performance (more errors) compared with silence.
Match the result to the choice that fits the evidence only
Now compare each option to the actual finding: music condition = faster completion but more mistakes.
- The correct choice must say that the music condition is linked to greater speed but reduced correctness, and it must not introduce extra ideas (like enjoyment, multitasking, or "always").
- Choice B does exactly this: it says that listening to lively music may increase speed on a task but decrease the accuracy of the work produced, which is a direct restatement of the study’s results without adding anything new.
Therefore, the correct answer is: listening to lively music may increase speed on a task but decrease the accuracy of the work produced.