Likes and impulsivity: Investigating the relationship between actual smartphone use and delay discounting

PLoS One. 2020 Nov 18;15(11):e0241383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241383. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The omnipresence of smartphones among adolescents and adults gives rise to the questions about excessive use and personality factors which are associated with heavier engagement with these devices. Previous studies have found behavioral similarities between smartphone use and maladaptive behaviors (e.g. drinking, gambling, drug abuse) in the context of intertemporal choice but mostly relied on participants' self-reports regarding engagement with their phone. In this study, we collected actual usage data by smartphone application from 101 participants and assessed their tendency to discount future rewards, their reward responsiveness, self-control and consideration of future consequences. We found that smartphone screen time was correlated with choosing smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards and that usage of social media and gaming apps predicted delay discounting. Additionally, smartphone use was negatively correlated with self-control but not correlated with consideration of future consequences. Neither psychological variable could mediate the relationship between smartphone usage and delay discounting. Our findings provide further evidence that smartphone use and impulsive decision-making go hand in hand and that engagement with these devices needs to be critically examined by researchers to guide prudent behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Delay Discounting / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Impulsive Behavior / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mobile Applications
  • Regression Analysis
  • Self Report
  • Self-Control
  • Smartphone*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The Junior Professorship of P.N.C.M. as well as the associated Dahlem International Network Junior Research Group Neuroeconomics is supported by Freie Universität Berlin within the Excellence Initiative of the German Research Foundation (http://www.dfg.de). Further support for P.N.C.M. is provided by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center (www.wzb.eu). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.