Media multitasking is associated with altered processing of incidental, irrelevant cues during person perception

Richard B Lopez,Dylan D Wagner,Julia M Salinger,Todd F Heatherton

doi:10.1186/s40359-018-0256-x

Richard B Lopez, Dylan D Wagner + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-018-0256-x

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Abstract

BackgroundMedia multitasking (MMT)—using and switching between unrelated forms of media—has been implicated in altered processing of extraneous stimuli, resulting in performance deficits. Here, we sought to extend our prior work to test the hypothesis that MMT might be associated with enhanced processing of incidental environmental cues during person perception.MethodWe tested the relationship between individual differences in MMT and person perception, by experimentally manipulating the relevance of environmental cues that participants could use to make trait and personality judgements of an unfamiliar social target. Relevant environmental cues consisted of neat or messy arrangements of the target’s belongings, whereas irrelevant cues consisted of similarly neat or messy arrangements of the testing room in which participants viewed a video of the target.ResultsIn general, relevant cues affected ratings of the target’s conscientiousness. Additionally, and consistent with our hypothesis, there was a significant interaction between irrelevant cue condition and MMT, such that high media multitaskers more readily incorporated irrelevant environmental cues into their evaluations of the target’s conscientiousness.ConclusionsThese results suggest that high media multitaskers are more responsive to irrelevant environmental cues, which in turn can lead them to form inaccurate impressions of others.

Highlights

Media multitasking (MMT)—using and switching between unrelated forms of media—has been implicated in altered processing of extraneous stimuli, resulting in performance deficits
Consistent with our hypothesis, there was a significant interaction between irrelevant cue condition and MMT, such that high media multitaskers more readily incorporated irrelevant environmental cues into their evaluations of the target’s conscientiousness
There was, a main effect of media-multitasking, with those participants reporting frequent media multitasking providing higher conscientiousness ratings, regardless of testing room condition, b = 0.141, t = 2.14, p = .035, As far as the model’s interaction terms, there was a significant interaction between MMT and the room condition, b = − 0.335, t = − 2.54, p =

Summary

Introduction

Media multitasking (MMT)—using and switching between unrelated forms of media—has been implicated in altered processing of extraneous stimuli, resulting in performance deficits. In the twenty-first century, humans face a unique cognitive challenge never faced before by our species: to divide attention between multiple media devices, such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and television. Because content across devices often competes for attention, many people attempt to engage in media multitasking (MMT), the simultaneous use of and switching between unrelated forms of media (e.g., tablet, smartphone, computer, smartwatch, etc.). Previous research has associated MMT with incorporation of extraneous, irrelevant cues during cognitive tasks. In a landmark study researchers showed that high (versus low) media multitaskers were unable to filter extraneous cues in the environment while performing cognitive tasks, leading to the seemingly paradoxical finding of reduced performance in high media multitaskers on a task-switching task [3].

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