Smartphones Hinder Prospective Memory in Users With High Levels of Smartphone Dependency

Abstract

Prospective memory (PM) has rarely been investigated in the context of smartphones. We embedded a PM task in an online, smartphone-based survey that participants were asked to take on their smartphone, and we investigated PM performance in relation to self-report on strategies used, smartphone distractions, and smartphone dependency measures. Of the 478 participants who accepted the survey job through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform, 295 total participants were included in the study as they met full inclusionary criteria, passed the PM attention check cue, and had complete data. Our sample was aged 21–71 years old ( M = 38.03; SD = 10.90) and was 62.5% male. Measures included a PM task that required participants to respond “N/A” to a question presented later in the survey and two questionnaires on smartphone dependency. The true purpose of the study was not disclosed in the PM portion of the survey to avoid ceiling effects, which are common in PM research. After completion of this portion and debriefing of participants, we asked what PM strategies they had used (e.g., attributing importance to the task and using reminders) and whether smartphone-based and self-initiated distractions had occurred during the survey. Overall, a third of the participants were successful on the smartphone PM task. We found that higher likelihood of PM success was predicted by (a) higher self-reported importance of the task; (b) lower use of external reminders; and (c) lower levels of smartphone dependency. Higher likelihood of PM success was also associated with fewer reported smartphone- and self-initiated distractions. This association was not influenced by levels of smartphone dependency. Findings suggest that smartphones are a hindrance to PM in those with significant smartphone dependency and in those who engage in smartphone-related distractions. Smartphones may induce competing social motives, possibly rendering some traditional PM strategies inefficient. Future research could decrease this social competition through mindfulness applications: In our sample, insight into use proved to be a potential protective factor against the negative effects that smartphone dependency and distractions have on PM performance.