Psychology · Level 1 · Foundation
The mere presence of a smartphone reduces basal attentional performance
Skowronek J, Seifert A, Lindberg S (2023). Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-36256-4 · CC BY 4.0
Step 1 of 2Read the paper
Does simply having your phone nearby, switched off and face-down, make it harder to concentrate? University students took a timed letter-crossing attention test (the d2-R) over video call, either with their switched-off phone on the desk or with it left in another room, and then filled in a smartphone-dependence questionnaire.
How to read it
- Read "The current research" at the end of the Introduction to find the exact hypothesis.
- In Methods, note how the two groups differed and what was kept the same for everyone.
- Table 1 holds the key numbers: compare the AP, PTO and E% means for the two groups.
- Read the Limitations section before deciding how far the conclusions stretch.
Step 2 of 2Take the test
5 questions · about 30 minutes including reading · pick an answer to see straight away if it’s right. Nothing is saved.
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Paper: Skowronek J, Seifert A, Lindberg S, Scientific Reports (2023), licensed CC BY 4.0. Summary and questions are Research Nest’s own; read the original for the full study.