The importance of time perspective in media multitasking behavior

TL;DR

This study explores how people's tendency to seek immediate rewards affects how often they use multiple media at once.

Contribution

The study combines self-report and objective measures to link time perspective and media multitasking behavior.

Findings

Present-focused time perspective and preference for immediate rewards strongly correlate with media multitasking.

Cognitive control components negatively associate with media multitasking behavior.

Time estimation issues also influence media multitasking frequency.

Abstract

Media multitasking (using several forms of media at once or using media during a non-media activity) occurs frequently in daily life, though some multitask more than others. This study investigated how individual differences in tendency toward immediate gratification, conceptualized using dual-process and dual-motive models of self-control, are associated with frequency of media multitasking behavior.

This report extends existing knowledge and offers a comprehensive view by combining self-report survey measures with objective behavioral tasks in two U. S. student samples (Study 1 from a Hispanic-Serving Institution, N = 487; and Study 2 from a Midwestern research university, N = 381). Participants completed self-report measures of media multitasking frequency, effortful control, mindfulness, and time perspective (future versus immediate-goal focus). They also answered retrospective time estimation questions and completed a Time Production (in Study 1 only) and Stop Signal task using E-Prime Go. Individual multitasking scores, media combinations, and in-study multitasking were also examined, and in Study 2 participants also completed a delay discounting measure.

Components of cognitive control had significant negative associations with media multitasking behavior. The strongest positive associations were with having a present-focused time perspective and favoring immediate over distal rewards. Issues with time estimation played a role as well.

Overall, our findings suggest that a preference for immediate reward might outweigh cognitive control ability when predicting media multitasking behavior.

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