Perpetually preoccupied: Applying interference framework to understand the effects of smartphone use and vibrations on an academic task

Abstract

Smartphones are useful—albeit disruptive—devices. Cognitive control research conceptualizes smartphone disruption as external interference. Actively using a smartphone and hearing smartphone notifications while trying to accomplish a goal can impair performance. In the current project, performance was compared across these contexts. Participants were presented with reading passages and retention was assessed through a quiz. The reading portion was completed without interference (control), while a hidden smartphone vibrated, or while participants responded to text messages. Participants in the interference conditions performed equally poor and worse than those in the control condition. Completion time followed a different pattern. Participants in the vibration condition took longer to complete the quiz than those in the texting condition but did not differ from those in the control condition. Results are situated in Clapp and Gazzaley's (2012) interference framework and suggest that smartphone vibrations are an external stimulus that can trigger internal interference.