Chapter 13: Are You Overloaded with Information?

Chapter 13: Are You Overloaded with Information?

Read the statement and choose the response that best describes you.

Problems in informative speaking are often the result of information overload -- on both the speaker's and the audience's parts. For each statement, select "often," "sometimes," or "seldom."

Please note that this exercise is for self-study, and your instructor will not be able to see your responses.

1. I forget information I need to know. Seldom Sometimes Often
2. I have difficulty concentrating on important tasks. Seldom Sometimes Often
3. When I go online, I feel anxious about the work that I don’t have time to do. Seldom Sometimes Often
4. I have e-mail messages sitting in my inbox that are more than 2 weeks old. Seldom Sometimes Often
5. I constantly check my online services because I am afraid that if I don’t, I will never catch up. Seldom Sometimes Often
6. I find myself easily distracted by things that allow me to avoid work I need to do. Seldom Sometimes Often
7. I feel fatigued by the amount of information I encounter. Seldom Sometimes Often
8. I delay making decisions because of too many choices. Seldom Sometimes Often
9. I make wrong decisions because of too many choices. Seldom Sometimes Often
10. I spend too much time seeking information that is nice to know rather than information that I need to know. Seldom Sometimes Often