Unexpected Dangles of the Smartphone (STUDY)

A study reveals the unpredictable dangers of the smartphone, writes writer. ro. Researchers at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas have conducted a study showing the link between cognition and concentration and the presence of mobile phones in the immediate vicinity. Adrian Ward, along with his colleagues, conducted a series of experiments involving nearly 800 people in an attempt to measure for the first time how well they can complete tasks that require concentration when the phones are nearby even . In an experiment, participants were trained to place their mobile phones in several places, such as on the desk with the screen down, in the pocket or in the backpack or in another room. Everyone was asked to give the phone to silent.

Researchers found that participants who had phones in another room did significantly better than those who had their phones on their desk. They also did better than those who had phones in their backpack or pocket, but to a lesser extent than those who had smartphones in sight. This finding suggests that the mere presence of the device reduces cognitive capacity even if people have the impression that they focus on the given task. Ward states that Your conscious mind does not think about smartphones, but the process that requires you not think of something uses the cognitive resources In another experiment, the researchers questioned the participants about phone dependence, wishing to see how it could affect cognitive ability. Then they received tests to request their cognitive ability, observing that those who were more addicted to the phone had poorer scores than the least addicts, but only if the phone was out of sight or in the pocket / backpack, researchers .