Self-selected goals outperform assigned goals in reducing mobile phone usage: Evidence from a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Excessive smartphone use is a growing public health concern.
• Scalable interventions to help individuals regulate smartphone use are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if self-selected reduction goals improve behavioral and psychological outcomes compared to assigned goals.
• To assess the impact of goal self-selection versus assigned goals on smartphone use regulation.

Main Methods:

• A twelve-week randomized controlled trial with 149 participants.
• Three conditions: self-selected goals (10-30% reduction), assigned goals (14% reduction), and a no-goal control.
• Utilized over 9000 person-day observations to track smartphone usage.

Main Results:

• Participants selecting their own goals reduced phone use by 26 minutes more daily (73% greater reduction) than those with assigned goals.
• Self-selected goal groups achieved their targets 11 percentage points more often than assigned goal groups.
• Reductions in phone use and goal achievement correlated with improvements in perceived addiction, depressive, and anxiety symptoms (secondary outcomes).

Conclusions:

• Self-selection in goal-setting significantly improves behavioral outcomes in regulating smartphone use.
• Allowing individuals to choose their own digital behavior goals can enhance engagement and promote healthier usage patterns.
• Goal-selection opportunities may be a valuable addition to digital and public health interventions for moderating smartphone use and improving well-being.