| Abstract | From distracted driving, to work focus on a computer,
increasing amounts of research is investigating how digital
technology influences users’ attention. A couple of widely
cited studies have found that the mere presence of cell phones
interferes with social interactions and cognitive performance,
even when not actively in use. These studies have important
implications but they have not yet been replicated, and also
suffer from methodological shortcomings and lack of
established theoretical frameworks to explain the observed
effects. We improved the methodology used in a previous
study of phone presence and task performance (Thornton,
Faires, Robbins, & Rollins, 2014), while testing an
‘opportunity cost’ model of mental effort and attention
(Kurzban, Duckworth, Kable, & Myers, 2013). We were
unable to replicate Thornton et al.’s finding that presence of
cell phones reduces performance in a specific cognitive task
(additive digit cancellation). Moreover, contrary to our
expectations, we found that participants who used their
phones more, and who were more attached to them, found the
tasks more fun/exciting and effortless, if they completed them
with their phone present.
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