“Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction
In the digital age, mobile phones significantly impact human cognition and behavior. This experimental study examined the effects of passive mobile phone presence on attentional control in young adults aged 18–25. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (no phone) or an experimental group (...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/5/74 |
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| author | Andrea Christodoulou Petros Roussos |
| author_facet | Andrea Christodoulou Petros Roussos |
| author_sort | Andrea Christodoulou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the digital age, mobile phones significantly impact human cognition and behavior. This experimental study examined the effects of passive mobile phone presence on attentional control in young adults aged 18–25. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (no phone) or an experimental group (phone present). Attention control was measured using the Attention Network Test (ANT). In contrast, smartphone nomophobia and addiction were measured with the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Contrary to previous literature, the presence of a mobile phone did not significantly distract participants or impair attentional performance. No significant relationship emerged between self-reported levels of distraction or nomophobia and actual attentional performance, although smartphone addiction seemed to have a weak effect on the errors made by those who performed in the presence of their mobile phone. Significant gender differences were found in terms of nomophobia, with women reporting higher levels than men. This study suggests that the relationship between mobile phone presence and attentional processes is more complex than previously hypothesized, bringing the existing literature under further consideration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78ea3f79e4d44488acabe53efe9fbf79 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2174-8144 2254-9625 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-78ea3f79e4d44488acabe53efe9fbf792025-08-20T01:56:31ZengMDPI AGEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education2174-81442254-96252025-05-011557410.3390/ejihpe15050074“Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on DistractionAndrea Christodoulou0Petros Roussos1Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, GreeceIn the digital age, mobile phones significantly impact human cognition and behavior. This experimental study examined the effects of passive mobile phone presence on attentional control in young adults aged 18–25. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (no phone) or an experimental group (phone present). Attention control was measured using the Attention Network Test (ANT). In contrast, smartphone nomophobia and addiction were measured with the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Contrary to previous literature, the presence of a mobile phone did not significantly distract participants or impair attentional performance. No significant relationship emerged between self-reported levels of distraction or nomophobia and actual attentional performance, although smartphone addiction seemed to have a weak effect on the errors made by those who performed in the presence of their mobile phone. Significant gender differences were found in terms of nomophobia, with women reporting higher levels than men. This study suggests that the relationship between mobile phone presence and attentional processes is more complex than previously hypothesized, bringing the existing literature under further consideration.https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/5/74nomophobiaattentionmobile phone presencesmartphone distraction |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Christodoulou Petros Roussos “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education nomophobia attention mobile phone presence smartphone distraction |
| title | “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction |
| title_full | “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction |
| title_fullStr | “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction |
| title_short | “Phone in the Room, Mind on the Roam”: Investigating the Impact of Mobile Phone Presence on Distraction |
| title_sort | phone in the room mind on the roam investigating the impact of mobile phone presence on distraction |
| topic | nomophobia attention mobile phone presence smartphone distraction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/5/74 |
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