Ralph Brandon C W, Thomson David R, Seli Paul, Carriere Jonathan S A, Smilek Daniel
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada,
Atten Percept Psychophys. 2015 Feb;77(2):390-401. doi: 10.3758/s13414-014-0771-7.
In a series of four studies, self-reported media multitasking (using the media multitasking index; MMI) and general sustained-attention ability, through performance on three sustained-attention tasks: the metronome response task (MRT), the sustained-attention-to-response task (SART), and a vigilance task (here, a modified version of the SART). In Study 1, we found that higher reports of media multitasking were associated with increased response variability (i.e., poor performance) on the MRT. However, in Study 2, no association between reported media multitasking and performance on the SART was observed. These findings were replicated in Studies 3a and 3b, in which we again assessed the relation between media multitasking and performance on both the MRT and SART in two large online samples. Finally, in Study 4, using a large online sample, we tested whether media multitasking was associated with performance on a vigilance task. Although standard vigilance decrements were observed in both sensitivity (A') and response times, media multitasking was not associated with the size of these decrements, nor was media multitasking associated with overall performance, in terms of either sensitivity or response times. Taken together, the results of the studies reported here failed to demonstrate a relation between habitual engagement in media multitasking in everyday life and a general deficit in sustained-attention processes.
在四项研究中，通过在三项持续注意力任务（节拍器反应任务（MRT）、持续注意力反应任务（SART）以及一项警觉任务（此处为SART的修改版本））中的表现，自我报告的媒体多任务处理情况（使用媒体多任务指数；MMI）以及一般持续注意力能力得以体现。在研究1中，我们发现媒体多任务处理报告越高，与MRT中反应变异性增加（即表现不佳）相关。然而，在研究2中，未观察到报告的媒体多任务处理与SART表现之间的关联。这些发现在研究3a和3b中得到重复，在这两项研究中，我们再次在两个大型在线样本中评估了媒体多任务处理与MRT和SART表现之间的关系。最后，在研究4中，使用一个大型在线样本，我们测试了媒体多任务处理是否与一项警觉任务的表现相关。尽管在敏感性（A'）和反应时间方面均观察到标准的警觉下降，但媒体多任务处理与这些下降的幅度无关，并且在敏感性或反应时间方面，媒体多任务处理与整体表现也无关。综上所述，此处报告的研究结果未能证明日常生活中习惯性参与媒体多任务处理与持续注意力过程中的一般缺陷之间存在关联。
