The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology

TLDR

The study examined how being unable to answer a ringing iPhone during cognitive tasks affects users’ self, cognition, anxiety, and physiology. A within‑subject 2×2 experiment with 40 iPhone users who completed two word‑search puzzles was used to test the effect. When users could not answer a ringing iPhone during a word‑search puzzle, heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, and unpleasantness rose while self‑reported extended self and cognition fell, indicating negative psychological and physiological effects of iPhone separation.

Abstract

This study uniquely examined the effects on self, cognition, anxiety, and physiology when iPhone users are unable to answer their iPhone while performing cognitive tasks. A 2 x 2 within-subjects experiment was conducted. Participants (N = 40 iPhone users) completed 2 word search puzzles. Among the key findings from this study were that when iPhone users were unable to answer their ringing iPhone during a word search puzzle, heart rate and blood pressure increased, self-reported feelings of anxiety and unpleasantness increased, and self-reported extended self and cognition decreased. These findings suggest that negative psychological and physiological outcomes are associated with iPhone separation and the inability to answer one's ringing iPhone during cognitive tasks. Implications of these findings are discussed.