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Emotion-related impulsivity moderates the cognitive interference effect of smartphone availability on working memory
Natale Canale1, Alessio Vieno2, Mattia Doro2
1Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. natale.canale@unipd.it.
Scientific Reports
|December 8, 2019
Summary
Smartphone presence can impair cognitive functions. Individuals high in positive urgency experience greater cognitive interference when their smartphone is on silent, highlighting impulsivity
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests smartphone presence negatively impacts cognitive functions like working memory and attention.
- Individual differences moderating this cognitive interference effect remain underexplored.
- Emotion-related impulsivity traits, specifically positive and negative urgency, are potential moderators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether emotion-related impulsivity traits moderate the cognitive interference effect of smartphone availability.
- To examine the impact of different smartphone availability conditions (turned off, silent mode) on cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- 132 college students (18-25 years) participated in a laboratory experiment.
- Visual working memory capacity was assessed under three conditions: turned-off visible smartphone, silent visible smartphone, and control (calculator).
- Participants completed self-reports on post-task thoughts, positive/negative urgency, and problematic smartphone use.
Main Results:
- Participants with higher positive urgency showed poorer cognitive performance in the silent-mode smartphone condition compared to the turned-off smartphone condition.
- This indicates increased cognitive interference for individuals high in positive urgency when smartphones are passively available.
- Negative urgency did not significantly moderate the cognitive interference effect.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in positive urgency can exacerbate the negative cognitive impact of smartphone availability.
- Smartphone availability, even in silent mode, can interfere with high-level cognitive processes, particularly for impulsive individuals.
- Findings offer insights into psychological factors underlying cognitive interference from personal technology.
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