Media multitasking, mind-wandering, and distractibility:A large-scale study

Previous studies suggest that frequent media multitasking - the simultaneous use of different media at the same time - may be associated with increased susceptibility to internal and external sources of distraction. At the same time, other studies found no evidence for such associations. In the current study, we report the results of a large-scale study (N=261) in which we measured media multitasking with a short media-use questionnaire and measured distraction with a change-detection task that included different numbers of distractors. To determine whether internally generated distraction affected performance, we deployed experience-sampling probes during the change-detection task. The results showed that participants with higher media multitasking scores did not perform worse as distractor set size increased, they did not perform worse in general, and their responses on the experience-sampling probes made clear that they also did not experience more lapses of attention during the task. Critically, these results were robust across different methods of analysis (i.e., Linear Mixed Modeling, Bayes factors, and extreme-groups comparison). At the same time, our use of the short version of the media-use questionnaire might limit the generalizability of our findings. In light of our results, we suggest that future studies should ensure an adequate level of statistical power and implement a more precise measure for media multitasking

Social Media and Cognition

Social media is an inescapable platform for sharing media and connecting with others. This thesis investigated how social media impacts cognition; specifically, attention. Study 1 investigated typical social media usage patterns and helped gauge which SM platform was most popular. Study 1 revealed three main platforms people used most often: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Facebook was reported as the most popular social media platform. Study 2 investigated how a social media post impacts cognition. It was hypothesized that participants who posted, with the intention of provoking a reaction from their followers, on their social media prior to performing a cognitive task would be distracted and have lower performance than a control group. However, there was no significant difference between the conditions. Therefore, the main hypothesis was not supported. An external factor that undermined the experiment (i.e. age) was discussed. Social media’s impact on cognition remains unclear and requires future research

Investigating Multitasking with Technology in Academic Settings

The presence of multitasking has become more and more prevalent in most if not all aspects of today’s society. This reoccurring display of multitasking is extremely prominent within the classrooms of our nation’s colleges and universities. While supposedly paying attention to lectures and taking efficient notes, students can be seen texting and/or using social media on their phones, or having a wide variety of possible tabs and windows pulled up on their laptops or tablets. This apparent habit of almost every higher-education level student has raised a multitude of questions in various fields of study over the years. It has also provided professors with yet another obstacle that they must overcome to effectively teach their students. In this study, we explore these issues and develop an extensive conceptual model outlining the factors that may impact multitasking with technology in academic settings

Student Perceptions of Mobile Phones as a Potential Academic Tool

Mobile phones offer many features and functions that could potentially enhance and expand student learning. However, practitioners and scholars have identified several concerning issues commonly associated with extensive student mobile phone use. Those who engage in discussions of the potential role for mobile phones in the learning process face a difficult task in deciding whether the advantages of mobile phone use for students in schools outweigh the disadvantages. This paper aims to contribute to that discussion by offering the perspectives of 11th and 12th grade students in a rural Minnesota community. This study featured a mixed methods research design. In the first part of the study, a group of participants (n=23) completed a survey detailing rates of mobile phone ownership, Internet accessibility, and experiences using mobile phones in schools. Participants reported a 100% ownership rate for mobile phones and Internet access at home, while 87% of participants rated their Internet connection as “reliable” or “very reliable”. The second part of the study included small group discussions to explore student experiences and perceptions of mobile phone use in schools. Participants (n=11) expressed a desire for teachers not to make generalizations based on the actions of a handful of students. They also offered several examples of how they were using mobile phones effectively to engage in their learning. Finally, the participants encouraged collaboration between teachers and students and voiced support for teacher autonomy in the implementation of mobile phone use in classrooms. Based on the data collected, recommendations have been made for teachers, administrators, and district policymakers who are considering implementation of mobile phones as tools for learning in their schools. This includes suggestions for teacher training and policy formation involving collaboration with students. Finally, with the Coronavirus Pandemic forcing mobile learning to the forefront of educational practice, recommendations have been offered for future research aiming to shift the focus from use and access of mobile devices towards effective implementation of mobile phones as a learning tool

Everyday functioning-related cognitive correlates of media multitasking:a mini meta-analysis

A recent meta-analysis has shown that media multitasking behavior, or consuming multiple streams of media simultaneously, might not be associated with less efficient cognitive processing, as measured with objective tests. Nevertheless, a growing number of studies have reported that media multitasking is correlated with cognitive functioning in everyday situations, as measured in self-reports. Here, in a series of mini meta-analyses, we show that the self-reported correlates of media multitasking can be categorized in at least four major themes. Heavy media multitasking was associated with increasing problems with attention regulation (e.g., increased mind-wandering and distractibility), behavior regulation (e.g., emotion regulation and self-monitor), inhibition/impulsiveness (e.g., higher level of impulsiveness and lower level of inhibition), and memory. However, the pooled effect sizes were small (z =.16 to z = .22), indicating that a large proportion of variance of media multitasking behavior is still unaccounted for. Additionally, we witnessed a high level of heterogeneity in the attention regulation theme, which might indicate the presence of the risk of study bias

Can I Have Your Attention? Implications of the Research on Distractions and Multitasking for Reference Librarians

The media have identified the last decade as “the age of distraction.” People today find it harder to work on long, sustained tasks because distractions are eroding their attention span, fostering a culture of discontinuity. Fields as diverse as psychology, business, education, human-computer interaction, and communication studies have produced a wealth of studies on interruptions, distractions, and multitasking–research that has important implications for reference librarians. The nature of our jobs invites interruptions by the public, requires familiarity with the latest technology, stimulates curiosity about a broad range of subjects, and demands adeptness at multitasking–all factors which can atomize attention

Distracted in a Hyperconnected World: a Literature Review of Social Media and Distraction.

openSocial media platforms have become an omnipresent force in contemporary society, fundamentally transforming communication and information access. However, accumulating evidence suggests that excessive social media usage can detrimentally impact attention and contribute to distraction, thereby compromising productivity and affecting various domains such as academics, professional engagements, and social interactions. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between social media and distraction, this dissertation conducted a systematic literature review to identify pertinent articles exploring the effects of social media on distraction. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the interplay between social media and distraction across cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. Findings pertaining to the cognitive dimension elucidate the impact of social media on the ability to sustain focus, as evidenced by an eye-tracking study. The behavioral dimension reveals that frequent switching between social media and other cognitive tasks incurs a cost of divided attention, resulting in compromised performance and reduced productivity. Moreover, the emotional dimension encompasses phenomena such as Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and social comparison, which contribute to the emotional aspects of distraction. In conclusion, the utilization of social media exerts a negative influence on the cognitive, behavioral, and affective components of attention, thereby engendering disruptive consequences for productivity, academic achievements, professional endeavors, and social interactions. By shedding light on these dynamics, this research underscores the significance of cultivating mindful social media habits and developing strategies to mitigate distraction, fostering healthier and more focused engagement with digital platforms.Social media platforms have become an omnipresent force in contemporary society, fundamentally transforming communication and information access. However, accumulating evidence suggests that excessive social media usage can detrimentally impact attention and contribute to distraction, thereby compromising productivity and affecting various domains such as academics, professional engagements, and social interactions. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between social media and distraction, this dissertation conducted a systematic literature review to identify pertinent articles exploring the effects of social media on distraction. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the interplay between social media and distraction across cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. Findings pertaining to the cognitive dimension elucidate the impact of social media on the ability to sustain focus, as evidenced by an eye-tracking study. The behavioral dimension reveals that frequent switching between social media and other cognitive tasks incurs a cost of divided attention, resulting in compromised performance and reduced productivity. Moreover, the emotional dimension encompasses phenomena such as Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and social comparison, which contribute to the emotional aspects of distraction. In conclusion, the utilization of social media exerts a negative influence on the cognitive, behavioral, and affective components of attention, thereby engendering disruptive consequences for productivity, academic achievements, professional endeavors, and social interactions. By shedding light on these dynamics, this research underscores the significance of cultivating mindful social media habits and developing strategies to mitigate distraction, fostering healthier and more focused engagement with digital platforms

The influence of digital distraction on cognitive load, attention conflict and meeting productivity

Background Meetings are important for organisational functioning and the co-ordination of people, tasks and processes, and an everyday reality of organisational life. As mobile communication technology, such as smart phones, tablets and laptops gets smaller and more powerful, these devices have become more pervasive in every aspect of personal and work life. Increasingly, organisations allow mobile devices to be used during meetings in an effort to be more efficient and save time. However, for a meeting to achieve the desired meeting outcomes, those that participate in the meeting need be actively engaged and focused. It is widely accepted though that mobile communication technology is distracting and can easily draw away one’s focus. This begs the question then as to whether employees should in fact be able to use mobile devices in meetings, or not. Rationale for the research study Research into the effect of mobile communication technology as a source of digital distraction on meeting performance, given individual differences in cognitive processing, is limited. Moreover, no experimental studies could be found that have investigated these relationships. It is hoped that the results of the present study will address the gap that was identified in the literature, as well as provide a useful practical contribution for organisations. The findings of the present study may further be used to inform organisation policy and practice concerning the use of mobile communication technology in meetings. Aim of the research study The aim of the present study was to investigate if the presence of digital distraction in meetings, i.e. the presence of mobile communication technology or mobile devices significantly negatively influences selected cognitive processes (i.e. cognitive load and attention conflict) and ultimately meeting performance (assessed as the time it takes to make a decision; as well as the number and quality of decisions made). Research design and method A two-group post-test only, quasi-experimental research method was utilised to investigate the causal effect of the presence of digital distraction on selected aspects of cognitive processing and meeting performance. For an experiment to be valid, no systematic bias should exist in the comparison groups before the manipulation or intervention, otherwise, one would not be able to deduce that any difference that is observed after the manipulation or intervention was due to the manipulation or intervention. Therefore, to ensure that two equivalent treatment groups were available, individuals were randomly assigned to two meetings. The composition of the two groups was then assessed using the demographic variables that were collected and were not found to be significantly different from one another. The average level concentration performance or attentiveness was also measured and not found to be significantly different. This suggests that the average level of distractibility was the same for the two groups. Two equivalent meetings were held with only the availability of mobile communication technology being different between the meetings (i.e. mobile devices were present and used during the meeting or not). After the meetings were concluded, respondents were asked to complete an online questionnaire that consisted of closed- and openended questions designed to measure the concentration performance, cognitive load and attention conflict constructs. Meeting performance was further evaluated by two independent subject matter experts using a decision-rating scale. Sampling and sample As meetings in organisations was the focus, the study targeted employed individuals, a convenient sample of employees were obtained (n=15) that were randomly assigned to one of two participant groups in two separate meetings. Results The inferential data analyses revealed that cognitive load and attention conflict were both statistically significantly higher in the meeting in which the use of mobile devices were available and used, compared to the meeting in which mobile devices were not present. Moreover, it was found that meeting performance was lower in the meetingwhere mobile communication technology was present. The members of the two meetings made a similar number of decisions, which the independent assessors rated as being of similar quality, however, the group in which mobile communication technology was available took 30 per cent longer (120 versus 90 mins) to come to a similar outcome. Findings The results of the present research study suggest that the presence of digital distraction placed significant (additional) demands on the cognitive processing of individuals, who in meetings are required to fulfil cognitive decision-making tasks. As a direct or indirect result, the presence of digital distractions had a marked negative impact on meeting performance and productivity. Based on the findings, it is argued that restricting digital distractions in meetings can greatly reduce the time spent in meetings, while still achieving desired meetings outcomes. Meetings are essential to effective organisational management and coordination but are also resource intensive with managers spending substantial amounts of their available work time in meetings. Organisations operating in resource constrained environments need to be increasingly efficient in their use of scarce resources and, arguably, time is the most precious resource of all. Managerial Implications Based on the findings of the present study, it is recommended that unless mobile communication devices are required to achieve meeting outcomes, managers should declare meetings as technology free zones. Doing so may lead to shorter more productive meetings giving those that often attend meetings more time to attend to other matters