Multitasking: The Impact of Divided Attention on a Reading Comprehension Task

Indianapolis, IN

According to previous research, multitasking can have a negative effect on productivity, comprehension, and quality of work. This study is important because it can potentially lead to students academically achieving much better grades than they are right now by participating in better study habits. Multitasking has become common among college students, and it may impact their performance in school as well as in their future work environments. The purpose of the current study is to test how distracting stimuli, specifically cell phones and music, can affect memory retention in a reading comprehension task. Participants will consist of Franklin College students divided into three groups. All participants will read a short essay during the "study phase" and then answer multiple choice questions about the reading during the "test phase." Participants in the first experimental group will utilize their cell phones as a possibly distracting stimulus during the study portion, and a second experimental group will hear background music in addition to using their cell phones. The control group will not experience these potentially distracting stimuli. Participants' test scores will be recorded, and they will take a survey about their perceived levels of distractedness during the task. Researchers predict that the presence of distracting stimuli may negatively influence reading comprehension test scores. The results of this study may shed light on the impact of college students' multitasking on their study habits.