Numerous Studies
Photo: Getty Images
Cognitive psychologist and marketing professor, Adrian Ward, has been studying the way smartphones affect our thoughts and judgments. His work gives us evidence that using a smartphone, or even hearing one ring/vibrate, creates a sea of distractions that make it hard to concentrate. The more distracted we are, the more our reasoning and performance are effected.
What some may not know is that the presence of a ringing or buzzing phone will alter their performance whether they answer it or not. A 2015 Journal of Experimental Psychology study, involving 166 subjects proved this hypothesis.
Another 2015 study, which involved 41 iPhone users and appeared in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, showed that when people hear their phone ring but are unable to answer it, their blood pressure spikes, their pulse quickens, and their problem-solving skills decline.
