Cognitive control in media multitaskers

Abstract

Chronic media multitasking is quickly becoming ubiquitous, although processing multiple incoming streams of information is considered a challenge for human cognition. A series of experiments addressed whether there are systematic differences in information processing styles between chronically heavy and light media multitaskers. A trait media multitasking index was developed to identify groups of heavy and light media multitaskers. These two groups were then compared along established cognitive control dimensions. Results showed that heavy media multitaskers are more susceptible to interference from irrelevant environmental stimuli and from irrelevant representations in memory. This led to the surprising result that heavy media multitaskers performed worse on a test of task-switching ability, likely due to reduced ability to filter out interference from the irrelevant task set. These results demonstrate that media multitasking, a rapidly growing societal trend, is associated with a distinct approach to fundamental information processing.

Fig. 1.

The filter task. (A) A sample trial with a 2-target, 6-distractor array. (B) HMM and LMM filter task performance as a function of the number of distractors (two targets). Error bars, SEM.

Fig. 2.

AX-CPT mean response times in the no-distractors and the distractors conditions (note that the overall decrease in response times from the no distractors to the distractors condition is due to greater predictability of probe onset as a result of the rhythmic nature of the distractors; the key data point is the difference in the distractors condition between LMMs and HMMs). Error bars, SEM.

Fig. 3.

Two- and three-back task results. (A) Hit rates. (B) False alarm rates. Error bars, SEM.