Psychological and physiological effects of applying self-control to the mobile phone

Abstract

This preregistered study examined the psychological and physiological consequences of exercising self-control with the mobile phone. A total of 125 participants were randomly assigned to sit in an unadorned room for six minutes and either (a) use their mobile phone, (b) sit alone with no phone, or (c) sit with their device but resist using it. Consistent with prior work, participants self-reported more concentration difficulty and more mind wandering with no device present compared to using the phone. Resisting the phone led to greater perceived concentration abilities than sitting without the device (not having external stimulation). Failing to replicate prior work, however, participants without external stimulation did not rate the experience as less enjoyable or more boring than having something to do. We also observed that skin conductance data were consistent across conditions for the first three-minutes of the experiment, after which participants who resisted the phone were less aroused than those who were without the phone. We discuss how the findings contribute to our understanding of exercising self-control with mobile media and how psychological consequences, such as increased mind wandering and focusing challenges, relate to periods of idleness or free thinking.

How students’ self-control and smartphone-use explain their academic performance

“…While the benefits of trait self-control are well established, we do not conclusively know how individuals higher in self-control attain long-term goals more effectively (Galla & Duckworth, 2015). In today's Digital Age, the smartphone resembles the well-known 'marshmallow' (Markowitz et al, 2019) causing ubiquitous self-control challenges. Compared to other digital devices, the smartphone is the most accessible device and thus more invasive and disruptive.…”

Thinking and Feeling through Mobile Media and Communication: A Review of Cognitive and Affective Implications

“…Mazmanian et al (2013) characterized this phenomenon as the autonomy paradox, with MMC providing flexibility and ecology provide myriad opportunities for users to escape negative affective states (e.g., boredom, loneliness, understimulation) in favor of more pleasurable experiences by connecting with others and digital content. Vibrations signaling device activity (Ishitsu & Kubo, 2018) or even the mere possibility of using a smartphone (Hunter et al, 2018;Markowitz et al, 2019) can provide a hedonic lift. Vincent's (2006Vincent's ( , 2010 scholarship shows that enjoyment of mobile media can transcend particular functions.…”

“…These state-and traitlike notions of attention, albeit interrelated, could be disentangled in future work. In terms of affect, control can be linked to broader literature on self-regulation and delay of gratification (Atchley & Warden, 2012;Hadar et al, 2015;Hofmann et al, 2016;Markowitz et al, 2019;Wilmer & Chein, 2016). Beyond cognition and affect, future research could also explicitly engage with basic psychological processes (e.g., perception, motivation, learning, memory, language), in addition to social and clinical perspectives, in order to fully represent the psychology of MMC.…”

How students' self-control and smartphone-use explain their academic performance

“…In today's Digital Age, the smartphone resembles the well-known 'marshmallow' (Markowitz et al, 2019) causing ubiquitous self-control challenges. Compared to other digital devices, the smartphone is the most accessible device and thus more invasive and disruptive.…”