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Scientific Reports· 2023Q1

The mere presence of a smartphone reduces basal attentional performance

Jeanette Skowronek, Andreas Seifert, Staffan I. Lindberg

Short summary

The mere presence of a smartphone, even when not in use, significantly reduces basal attentional performance in adults aged 20-34.

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Key points

  • Participants aged 20-34 showed lower cognitive performance in the presence of a smartphone.
  • The effect was observed even when the smartphone was not actively being used.
  • The results support the hypothesis that smartphone presence depletes limited cognitive resources.
  • Basal attentional performance was negatively impacted by the mere proximity of a smartphone.

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Abstract

The smartphone has become an indispensable part of everyday life. It enables endless possibilities and offers persistent access to a multiplicity of entertainment, information, and social contacts. The development towards a greater use and a persistent presence of the smartphone does not only lead to advantages, but also raises potential for negative consequences and a negative influence on attention. In this research, the hypothesis of the mere smartphone presence leading to cognitive costs and a lower attention is being tested. The smartphone may use limited cognitive resources and consequently lead to a lower cognitive performance. To investigate this hypothesis, participants aged 20-34 perform a concentration and attention test in the presence and absence of a smartphone. The results of the conducted experiment imply that the mere presence of a smartphone results in lower cognitive performance, which supports the hypothesis of the smartphone presence using limited cognitive resources. The study as well as the subsequent results and the resulting practical implications are presented and discussed in this paper.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2023 · DOI ↗

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Field: Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive NeuroscienceNeuroscience