Individual Differences in Memory Disruption Caused by Cellphone Notifications

This dataset includes stimulus materials and data for a pilot study and two experiments exploring the effects of cellphone notifications on recall of categorized word lists. Participants studied word lists under three levels of distraction: no notifications, instructions to dismiss the notifications without reading them, and instructions to read the notifications before dismissing them. Words were presented simultaneously in the pilot research and Experiment 1, and successively in Experiment 2. Four measures of word recall were obtained, including total words recalled, number of categories recalled, words-per-category recalled, and ratio of repetitions. After studying and recalling the word lists, participants completed questionnaires assessing their video-gaming, musical, texting, and media-multitasking experiences. In the two experiments, participants also completed the Ward et al. (2017) cellphone attachment and dependence scales. In the second experiment, participants completed a forward-digit span task as a measure of their working memory capacity. Based responses to the questionnaire and digit span performance, individual difference groups were identified, including: (1) heavy and light media multitaskers (pilot research only), (2) heavy and light texters, (3) video gamers and non gamers, (3) musicians and non-musicians, (4) high and low scorers on the Ward et al. cellphone scales, and (5) participants with high and low working memory capacity (Experiment 2 only). For all subgroups, word retention decreased as the level of distraction from the notifications increased. Dismissing the notifications without reading them interfered with relational processing (category recall) only whereas reading the notifications disrupted both relational (category recall) and individual-item processing (words-per-category recalled). The disruptive effects of notifications were strongest when words were presented successively in the second experiment. Heavy texters demonstrated particularly poor performance on the word recall task, whereas participants with high working memory capacities performed relatively well. Video gamers and participants with high scores on the Ward cellphone attachment scale were disrupted as much by simply dismissing the notifications as by reading them. The results of this research suggest that no-one is immune to the dual costs of monitoring incoming notifications while performing academic and professional tasks.

本数据集包含一项预实验与两项实验的刺激材料及实验数据，旨在探究手机通知对分类词表回忆表现的影响。
实验中，参与者在三种分心层级下开展词表学习任务：无通知状态、仅需忽略通知而无需阅读的状态，以及需先阅读通知再将其忽略的状态。
预实验与实验1中，单词以同时呈现的方式展示；实验2中则改为依次呈现。
本研究共采集四项词语回忆指标，包括总回忆词语数、回忆起的类别数、单类别回忆词语数以及重复率。
在完成词表学习与回忆任务后，参与者需填写问卷，以评估其电子游戏、音乐、短信使用及媒体多任务的经历。
两项实验中，参与者还需完成Ward等人（2017）编制的手机依恋与依赖量表。
在第二项实验中，参与者额外完成了数字广度正向任务，用以衡量其工作记忆容量。
基于问卷作答结果与数字广度任务表现，研究人员划分出多类个体差异组别：（1）重度与轻度媒体多任务使用者（仅预实验）、（2）重度与轻度短信使用者、（3）电子游戏玩家与非玩家、（3）音乐爱好者与非音乐爱好者、（4）Ward等人手机量表得分高低分组、（5）高与低工作记忆容量使用者（仅实验2）。

所有亚组的词语保持率均随通知带来的分心程度提升而下降。
仅忽略通知而未阅读的操作仅会干扰关系加工过程（类别回忆），而阅读通知则会同时破坏关系加工（类别回忆）与单个项目加工（单类别回忆词语数）。
当实验2中单词依次呈现时，通知的干扰效应最为显著。
重度短信使用者在词语回忆任务中表现尤为糟糕，而高工作记忆容量参与者的表现则相对优异。
电子游戏玩家与在Ward手机依恋量表中得分较高的参与者，仅忽略通知与阅读通知均会对其造成同等程度的干扰。
本研究结果表明，在执行学术与专业任务时，所有人都无法逃脱监控即时通知所带来的双重代价。