Rapid attentional responses are produced using technology
Cell phones are often criticized for their disruptive effects on attention and cognitive abilities. But a new study published in the journal BMC Psychology found a surprising effect: having a cell phone actually improved reaction time when performing a specific cognitive task that required shifting attention.
Previous studies have argued that the presence of a mobile phone can affect the performance of cognitive tasks by distracting attention. But attentional control is necessary to control multiple cognitive processes simultaneously and effectively. It is associated with the work of memory, which is responsible for temporary storage and processing of information.
New evidence has shown that people with higher memory capacity are better at tasks that require attention control. However, there is reason to believe that this memory effect does not always contribute to the switching of attention between different visual functions.
The research team's task required participants to focus on both global shapes and local details of a visual stimulus. This makes the experiments an ideal measure of how well a person can shift their attention under different conditions. Previous analyzes have shown that people with higher working memory may not always perform well on this task, especially when frequent changes in attention are required. This result prompted a trio of researchers from China and Japan to further explore the potential influence of external factors, such as cell phone ownership, on this task.
The study involved 36 adult participants who completed tasks in two versions: with a mobile phone and without it. The task involved recognizing and responding to smaller letters, which required shifting attention between global and local levels of letter configuration. Participants were asked to press specific keys to indicate whether they recognized specific target letters at different levels, with their reaction times and accuracy reported.
Contrary to popular belief that cell phones consistently impair cognitive processes, the researchers found that participants actually performed better — in terms of reaction time — with a cell phone compared to when it was replaced with a cell phone battery. Although participants were able to respond faster, their ability to correctly identify the target letters in the task did not necessarily improve.
The researchers speculate that the cell phone may have caused participants to consciously focus on something more centralized, potentially avoiding phone-related distractions. This redistribution of visual attention may explain faster reaction times because more cognitive resources are concentrated where they are most needed to complete a task.
In addition, the researchers examined the role of gadget addiction, which was assessed using the Problems with Mobile Phone Use (PUMP) scale. It was found that participants with higher PUMP scores, indicating greater dependence on their mobile devices, demonstrated significantly lower accuracy on the task.
«Given that cell phone use can negatively impact cognitive performance activities, some scientists have proposed introducing restrictions on their presence in the work environment, — the researchers concluded. — This study demonstrates the potential to challenge the assertion that cell phones should always be banned in the workplace by emphasizing the positive effects of cell phone presence.”
People who are more dependent on their cell phones tend to be perform tasks requiring attention control with less accuracy. But this decline in accuracy was not affected by the physical presence of the phone, suggesting that the negative impact of addiction is a broader behavioral trait rather than a situational effect.
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