Title

Costly Cell Phones: The Impact of Cell Phone Rings on Academic Performance

Authors

Christian M. End, Xavier University - CincinnatiFollow
S. Worthman
M. B. Mathews

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Teaching Psychology

ISSN

1532-8023

Volume

37

First Page

55

57

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

College students participated in a study on the "psychology of note taking" during which they took notes on video content and later completed a multiple-choice test on the material. Researchers assigned 71 participants to either the ringing condition (the video was disrupted by a ringing cell phone) or the control condition (no cell phone rings disrupted the video). The hypothesis that the cell phone rings would impair performance was confirmed. Compared to the control group, participants in the ringing condition performed significantly worse on the disrupted test items and were less likely to include the disrupted information in their notes. Citing empirical evidence of academic impairment in course syllabi may improve regulation of cell phone use in the classroom.

Publication Information

End, C. M., Worthman, S., Mathews, M. B., & Wetterau, K. (2010). Costly cell phones: The impact of cell phone rings on academic performance. Teaching Psychology, 37, 55-57.

Comments

See publication information for additional authors.

Recommended Citation

End, Christian M.; Worthman, S.; and Mathews, M. B., "Costly Cell Phones: The Impact of Cell Phone Rings on Academic Performance" (2010). Faculty Scholarship. 145.
https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/psychology_faculty/145