Media Multitasking: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

Lang, Annie; Chrzan, Jasmin

doi:10.1080/23808985.2015.11679173

Cited by 48 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Media multitasking (or dual‐tasking) has often been defined as “performing two or more tasks simultaneously, one of which involves media use” (Lang & Chrzan, , p. 100), and it could include three broad categories: (a) a medium and a nonmedia task, such as television and homework(e.g., Jeong & Fishbein, ); (b) two distinct media, such as television and the Internet (e.g., Papper, Holmes, & Popovich, ); and (c) two tasks on a single medium, such as IMing and using e‐mail on a computer (e.g., Yeykelis, Cummings, & Reeves, ). In media multitasking, the two tasks could be performed concurrently and simultaneously or by rapidly switching back and forth between the tasks (Lang & Chrzan, , p. 101).…”

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“…Research on multitasking has found that multitasking tends to reduce cognitive performance, such as recall, comprehension, and task performance (for a review, see Lang & Chrzan, ). On the other hand, studies have suggested that multitasking may increase attitude change and persuasion, such that audiences are more persuaded by a message when they are exposed to the message while multitasking (e.g., Jeong & Hwang, , ; Keating & Brock, ).…”

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Media Multitasking Effects on Cognitive vs. Attitudinal Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

2016

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Despite the recent proliferation of research on media multitasking, a comprehensive meta‐analytic review of its effects has not been available. Based on a review of 49 media multitasking studies, this meta‐analysis showed that multitasking has negative effects on cognitive outcomes, whereas it has positive effects on attitudinal (or persuasion‐related) outcomes. Moderator analyses suggested that the negative effects of multitasking on cognitive outcomes varied by (a) user control, (b) task relevance, and (c) task contiguity. Specifically, multitasking had greater effects (a) when media users had less control over the media, (b) for tasks that were unrelated, and (c) for tasks that were physically distant. Implications for future multitasking research are further discussed.

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Media Multitasking Effects on Cognitive vs. Attitudinal Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

2016

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“…Indeed, humans are remarkable at being able to process auditory clues in background mode, i.e., while processing other sensorial clues, a capacity that media exploits to attract the attention of humans in environments with multiple clues (Lang and Chrzan, 2015;Smit et al, 2017). In contrast, visualizations of data require the full span of attention of the observer and is more difficult to reconcile with simultaneous tasks.…”

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Sonification of Animal Tracks as an Alternative Representation of Multi-Dimensional Data: A Northern Elephant Seal Example

et al. 2018

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“…An important subset of these studies investigate the effects of chronic media-multitasking for attentional control (e.g., Cain & Mitroff, 2011;Ophir, Nass, & Wagner, 2009;Ralph & Smilek, 2017;Ralph, Thomson, Seli, Carriere, & Smilek, 2015;Uncapher, Thieu, & Wagner, 2016;Yap & Lim, 2013). Media multitasking describes a form of behaviour during which a person simultaneously performs one or more activities of which some involve the use of media (Lang & Chrzan, 2015). Mobile digital devices and ubiquitous connectivity to an ever-greater range of infotainment platforms have normalised high levels of media multitasking, particularly among younger generations (van der Schuur, Baumgartner, Sumter, & Valkenburg, 2015).…”

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Investigating differences in the attention distribution strategies of high and low media multitaskers through a two-dimensional game

Roux¹,

Parry²

2019

Cyberpsychology

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The rapid advancement of mobile computing devices and the ever-growing range of infotainment services they enable have cultivated high levels of media multitasking. Studies have considered the effects of this form of behaviour for cognitive control ability, with findings suggesting that chronic media multitasking is associated with reduced inhibitory control. In this study we advance knowledge in this domain by investigating differences in the attention distribution strategies of high and low media multitaskers (HMMs and LMMs) through a simple, twodimensional game. 1 063 university students completed a web-based survey concerning their media multitasking behaviour and played the 2D game. Contributing to the ecological validity of the study the game was played within the respondent's web-browser, as part of the survey, at a time and place (and on a computer) of their choosing. During gameplay one of two different banners, both irrelevant to the game, were displayed adjacent to the game. No instructions were provided in relation to the banners. Our analysis considered respondents' performance in the game in relation to both their media multitasking and the content of the banner displayed. Our findings suggest that while HMMs attend to distracting stimuli independent of their content or salience, LMMs are more selective. This selectivity enables improved primary task performance when distracting stimuli are deemed unimportant. Additionally, we found that LMMs generally recalled banner information more accurately after the game was played. About AuthorsDaniel B. le Roux (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His research concerns complex, self-organising socio-technical systems and, more recently, behavioural effects of technology adoption and use. Over the past five years he has focussed on the effects of the rapid advancement and adoption of mobile computing devices (smartphones in particular) and the manner in which the ubiquity and pervasiveness of these devices influence, firstly, behaviour in personal and social contexts, and, secondly, cognitive processes and capabilities. He established and heads up the Cognition and Technology Research Group (CTRG) at Stellenbosch University (see http://suinformatics.com/ctrg). Douglas A. Parry is an early career researcher interested in the meeting point between people and technology. He currently holds a faculty position teaching and supervising within the undergraduate and postgraduate Socio Informatics programs as part of the Department of Information Science at Stellenbosch University. As a member of the Cognition and Technology Research Group (CTRG), he is involved in a number of research projects concerning the interplay between emerging digital technologies, human cognition and affective wellbeing. His research interests include: media effects, human computer interaction, and cyberpsychology. He is currently working towards a doctoral degree specifically focusing on media multitasking and cognitive control.

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Media Multitasking: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

Cited by 48 publications

References 28 publications

Media Multitasking Effects on Cognitive vs. Attitudinal Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

Media Multitasking Effects on Cognitive vs. Attitudinal Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

Sonification of Animal Tracks as an Alternative Representation of Multi-Dimensional Data: A Northern Elephant Seal Example

Investigating differences in the attention distribution strategies of high and low media multitaskers through a two-dimensional game

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