Question 93·Hard·Inferences
Researchers surveying 1,200 adults examined the relationship between smartphone habits and sleep. Respondents who reported checking social media within 30 minutes of going to bed slept an average of 45 minutes less and were twice as likely to rate their sleep as "poor" compared with respondents who avoided screens before bed. However, these negative outcomes were observed almost exclusively among individuals who scored low on a standardized measure of trait self-control; for respondents with high trait self-control, frequent pre-bedtime phone use was not statistically associated with shorter sleep duration or poorer sleep quality.
This pattern most strongly suggests that, for adults with high trait self-control, frequent social media use before bedtime ______.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For sentence-completion questions based on a short study summary, focus on the specific clause that directly answers the question, especially anything after contrast words like "however" or "but." Paraphrase that clause in your own words, then scan the answer choices and pick the one that best matches your paraphrase without adding new information or contradicting the text. Eliminate any option that introduces concepts the passage never mentions or that changes the direction (positive vs. negative) of the described effect.
Hints
Locate the key sentence
Reread the last sentence of the passage, especially the part starting with "for respondents with high trait self-control." That is where you will find the information that answers the question.
Use the contrast word
Pay close attention to the word "However" and to the phrase "almost exclusively". How do these show a difference between people low in self-control and people high in self-control?
Interpret the statistical language
Focus on the phrase "was not statistically associated with shorter sleep duration or poorer sleep quality." In simple terms, what does it say about the link between bedtime social media use and sleep problems for high self-control adults?
Eliminate choices that add new claims
Cross out any answer choice that claims a negative link (shorter sleep and/or poorer sleep quality) for the high self-control group, since the passage says there was no statistical association for that group.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the overall finding
First, summarize the main result:
- People who checked social media within 30 minutes of bed on average slept 45 minutes less and were twice as likely to rate their sleep as "poor" compared with people who avoided screens. This sounds like frequent pre-bed phone use is related to less sleep and worse sleep quality.
Notice the key exception
Now focus on the contrast introduced by "However":
- The passage says these negative outcomes (less sleep and poorer sleep quality) were seen almost exclusively in people low in trait self-control.
- For people with high trait self-control, the study found that frequent pre-bedtime phone use was "not statistically associated with shorter sleep duration or poorer sleep quality." So for high self-control adults, the data do not show a clear link between lots of bedtime phone use and the sleep problems described earlier.
Translate the research wording into plain language
The phrase "not statistically associated with shorter sleep duration or poorer sleep quality" means that, in this group:
- The researchers did not find solid evidence that frequent pre-bedtime social media use leads to less sleep, and
- They also did not find solid evidence that it leads to worse sleep quality. The blank in the question must capture this idea: for adults with high trait self-control, using social media before bed does not reliably produce the sleep problems seen in the overall group.
Match the meaning to the best choice
Now compare each option to that idea:
- Any choice that still claims an association with shorter sleep or poorer sleep quality conflicts with the passage’s statement that there was no statistical association for high self-control adults.
- The only option that correctly reflects the reported lack of a clear negative link is:
does not necessarily translate into significant sleep loss or deterioration in sleep quality.