Explanation
Correct answer: D.
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text opens by noting that online surveys are usually designed for PCs but that more people now use smartphones to take them—a shift, the text proposes, that may affect how participants interact with the surveys. The text then describes study findings—PC users were more likely to multitask but also more likely to complete surveys than smartphone users were—as evidence to illustrate the overall point that device type does indeed change how participants behave when responding to surveys. Thus, the text as a whole conveys the idea that according to a study, the type of device people use to complete online surveys affects how they interact with these surveys.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text notes that more people are using smartphones than PCs for surveys, it doesn’t indicate why people are making this choice, much less suggest that convenience is a factor in this shift. The text focuses on the consequences of the shift in device usage, not on its causes.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text reports that PC users were more likely to complete surveys than smartphone users were despite also being more likely to multitask while taking the surveys, it doesn’t frame the study as an inquiry into the reasons for these differences in completion rates. Instead, the text presents these findings to illustrate how device type affects survey participants’ interactions with online surveys.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. Although the text states that online surveys are commonly used in research, the text doesn’t discuss whether researchers prefer online surveys over other data collection methods, nor does it indicate that online surveys are more reliable than alternative methods. Rather, the text focuses on how different devices affect the way participants interact with online surveys.