The Mere Presence of your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power
By Austin Jacar; Science News; 2017
1. Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is
within reach even if its off. Thats the takeaway finding from a new study
from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
McCombs Assistant Professor Adrian Ward and co-authors conducted
experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users in an attempt to measure, for the
first time, how well people can complete tasks when they have their
smartphones nearby even when theyre not using them.
2. In one experiment, the researchers asked study participants to sit at a computer
and take a series of tests that required full concentration in order to score well.
The tests were geared to measure participants available cognitive capacity
that is, the brains ability to hold and process data at any given time. Before
beginning, participants were randomly instructed to place their smartphones
either on the desk face down, in their pocket or personal bag, or in another
room. All participants were instructed to turn their phones to silent.
3. The researchers found that participants with their phones in another room
significantly outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and they also
outperformed those participants who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag.
4. The findings suggest that the presence of ones smartphone reduces available
cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel
theyre giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand. We see a linear
trend that suggests that as the smartphone becomes more noticeable,
participants available cognitive capacity decreases, Ward said. Your
conscious mind isnt thinking about your smartphone, but that process the
process of requiring yourself to not think about something uses up some of
your limited cognitive resources. Its a brain drain.
5. In another experiment, researchers looked at how a persons self-reported
smartphone dependence or how strongly a person feels he or she needs to
have a smartphone in order to get through a typical day affected cognitive
capacity. Participants performed the same series of computer-based tests as the
first group and were randomly assigned to keep their smartphones either in
sight on the desk face up, in a pocket or bag, or in another room. In this
experiment, some participants were also instructed to turn off their phones.
6. The researchers found that participants who were the most dependent on their
smartphones performed worse compared with their less-dependent peers, but
only when they kept their smartphones on the desk or in their pocket or bag.
7. Ward and his colleagues also found that it didnt matter whether a persons
smartphone was turned on or off, or whether it was lying face up or face down
on a desk. Having a smartphone within sight or within easy reach reduces a
persons ability to focus and perform tasks because part of their brain is actively
working to not pick up or use the phone. Its not that participants were
distracted because they were getting notifications on their phones, said Ward.
The mere presence of their smartphone was enough to reduce their cognitive
capacity.
