Problem: What effect do media distractions (iPad app, TV clip, online article, or music) have on the amount of time (measured in seconds) it takes a test subject in eight grade to comprehend and answer simple questions?

By Max Spiegel

Curious how productive media multitasking is

Wanted to see pros and cons of media multitasking

Hoped to prove how much media multitasking can slow people down

Increasingly common trend

Never actually doing 2 things at once◦ Constantly switching task

◦ Requires “rule activation” (several tenths second)

10 point drop in IQ

In reality, it is wasting time

If media is a distraction in answering simple questions then eight grade students who are fully focused will answer simple questions faster than when the students are distracted by media.

iPad

Laptop

8 eighth graders (4 boys, 4 girls)

iPad app (Temple Run)

TV Clip (The Office)

Online article (fun facts)

Music (Good Feeling)

Stopwatch The iPad app distraction Temple

Run

1. Gather a group of 8 eighth grade test subjects and make 4 groups with 2 students (1 boy, 1 girl)

2. With one test subject, go to a testing area with no distractions and get timer and laptop ready

3. Ask the test subject to spell animal (if group 1), granite (if group 2), camera (if group 3), brother (if group 4), cartoon (if group 5)

4. Once you are finished asking the question, start the timer

5. When the test subject answers the question, stop the timer

6. Record the timer result on a laptop **record the result in seconds with 2 decimal places**

7. Repeat steps 3-6 again but ask the test subject to do the math problem, 3+4 (if group 1), 5+3 (if group 2), 2+4 (if group 3), 3+2 (if group 4), 4+2 (if group 5).

8. Repeat steps 2-7 with the other 9 test subjects9. The next day, repeat steps 2-7 with the same test subjects but

instead of the subject not being distracted, have the test subject play Temple Run on an iPad **do not ask the questions when the test subject is in the “game over” stages when they are not actually playing the game** change questions so group 1 answers group 2’s previous questions, group 2 answers group 3’s previous questions etc. **group 5 answers group 1’s previous questions**

10. The following day, repeat steps 2-7 again on the same test subjects but have them watch the TV clip of “the Office” instead of using the iPad **rotate questions same way**

11. Repeat steps 2-7 again but have the test subjects read the “fun facts” article (rotate questions same way)

12. Repeat steps 2-7 for the final time but have the test subjects listen to the song “Good Feeling” **rotate questions same way**

13. Analyze and organize the data

Some of the test subjects

Analyzing the data (step 13)

My seat Test subject’s seat

The testing area layout

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0AqpdFFBkvK_BdFRfdWI3ZHJuc1AxSVAtRnZBZjI0WGc&output=html

Negatives outweigh positives◦ .19 seconds slower with distractions

◦ 9.03 % slower

Music was an outlier. Increased speed◦ 14.32 % slower with music excluded

Research agrees with other studies

Control: test subjects, location, question ability

Lesson to all that multitasking must not become too common◦ May be slowing people down