AAQ Cell Phone Use and Academic Performance

AP Psychology AAQ

Introduction

Research consistently shows that cell phone use during studying can have negative effects on academic performance. 

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Participants

The study involved undergraduate students who were divided into different groups based on their usage of digital devices during lectures.

Groups: Participants were assigned to one of the following groups:

Control group: No use of any electronic devices.

Laptop group: Allowed to use laptops without internet access.

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Laptop with internet group: Allowed to use laptops with internet access.

Facebook group: Allowed to use laptops and access Facebook.

Text messaging group: Allowed to use cell phones for text messaging.

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Method

Procedure

Lecture: All participants attended the same lecture delivered by the same instructor to control for variability in teaching style and content.

Device Usage: During the lecture, participants in the experimental groups used their assigned devices according to their group’s specific condition. The control group did not use any electronic device.

Test Performance:

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After the lecture, participants completed a test designed to assess their understanding and retention of the lecture material. The test included questions directly related to the lecture content.

Test scores were compared across the different groups to evaluate the impact of device usage on academic performance.

Engagement and Note-Taking:

Participants' engagement levels were monitored, and the quantity and quality of notes taken during the lecture were assessed.

These measures were used to determine how device usage affected students' attention and ability to take effective notes.

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Results and Discussion

Test Scores: Students in the control group (no electronic device use) scored significantly higher on tests than those in any of the device-using groups.

Control Group: Average test score was around 72%.

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Laptop Group (no internet): Average test score was around 62%.

Laptop with Internet Group: Average test score was around 56%.

Facebook Group: Average test score was around 51%.

Text Messaging Group: Average test score was around 52%.

Engagement and Note-Taking: Students who used electronic devices reported lower levels of engagement and took fewer notes compared to those who did not use any devices.

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Key Findings

Test Scores: Students in the control group scored significantly higher on the post-lecture test compared to students in any of the device-using groups.

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Engagement and Note-Taking: Students who used electronic devices during the lecture reported lower levels of engagement and took fewer notes compared to those in the control group.

Conclusion

The study concluded that multitasking with technology during lectures has a detrimental effect on students' learning and academic performance. Specifically, access to the internet and social media during class significantly impairs students’ ability to retain and understand lecture material.

This detailed description of the methods helps to clarify how the researchers conducted their study and arrived at their conclusions about the impact of cell phone and laptop use on learning outcomes.

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Adapted From: 

Wood, E., Zivcakova, L., Gentile, P., Archer, K., De Pasquale, D., & Nosko, A. (2012). Examining the impact of off-task multi-tasking with technology on real-time classroom learning. Computers & Education, 58(1), 365-374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.029