Restricting mobile phone access during homework increases attainment of study goals

Recent research has reported negative consequences, such as increased anxiety, associated with restricting people’s access to their mobile phones. These findings have led researchers to suggest that mobile phone use may pose a legitimately addictive behavior for some people. Other research has suggested negative effects of mobile phones on academic outcomes. To study the effects of phone separation on both anxiety and attainment of academic study goals, we randomly assigned participants (N = 93) to a restricted mobile phone access condition or a control condition. After setting a list of goals for a study session, participants worked on their own, self-chosen class materials for 60 minutes. Anxiety was measured before and immediately following the study session. Attainment of study goals was assessed through a self-report estimate of the percent of study goals accomplished at the end of the session. We predicted that those who classified as high on a problematic mobile phone use scale and who had their phones taken away would show the greatest increases in anxiety over the session as well as the greatest deficits in attainment of study goals as compared to all other participants. While there was a general tendency for participants who scored higher on the problematic use scale to be more anxious, anxiety did not differ between participants with phone access and those without it. Participants without phone access self-reported attainment of 12% more of their study goals than those who had phones. This study qualified the conditions for which restricting mobile phone access increases anxiety and provided further empirical support for detriments to attainment of study goals when mobile phones are present.