John Costello 12 th Grade Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS

 Within the last decade, technology has given us the opportunity to perform several tasks at once.  People feel compelled to take advantages of these conveniences simultaneously.  In 1999, only 16% of time spent using any media involved a second form of media.  By 2005, the number nearly doubled. A Culture of Distraction

 53% of students in grades 7-12 report consuming some other form of media while watching television  62% while using the computer  63% while listening to music  “I get bored if it’s not all going on at once.” Con’t

Researchers believe that we can only focus on one thing at a time. We use executive control processes, associated with the prefrontal cortex, as well as the parietal cortex, to allocate the brain’s resources. Human prefrontal cortex – 1/3 of the entire cortex 15% in monkeys and 5% in dogs Switching from one progression of thought to another can take up to half a second.

 A 2005 test found that “Workers distracted by and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.”  A UCLA experiment found that performing additional tasks switches brain activity from the hippocampus, which stores and recalls information, to the striatum, which functions in rote memorization.

 The RAC Foundation, a British nonprofit, found that drivers ages were 35% slower when writing a text message.  Additionally, many studies indicate that multitasking increases secretion of stress hormones and adrenaline, which can have long term health effects.

 In 1990, 4.3 million Americans used cellular phones.  As of October 2008, 266 million carried a cell.  Similar trend in exists usage while driving.  A 2005 study concluded that cell phone usage increases risk of crashing by a factor of four, and can be as dangerous as driving drunk.  A 2007 survey of 1,200 dangerous drivers found that 73% used cell phones.

 A 2006 study showed that four-fifths of crashes involve some form of inattention.  The most common cause of inattention was cell phone use.  Five states have banned talking on a handheld phone while driving.  Seven states have banned sending text messages while driving.

 To determine if talking on a cell phone will affect one’s performance in a driving simulation.

 Null - the phone conversation will have no significant effect on the drivers’ performances.  Alternative - the phone conversation will have a significant effect on the drivers’ performances.

 20male subjects (ages 14-18)  Cell phone  Material to record answers  Play Station Portable game system with “Need for Speed”  Stopwatch

 1. Have subject sit in a room with limited distractions, with cell phone in pocket.  2. Ask subject a series of simple questions with short answers which can be asked over the phone; record answers.  3. Have subject play one round of the game; record score.  4. Repeat Step 3 twice, with the identical game.  5. Leave room and call subject’s cell phone.  6. Instruct subject to begin playing the game.

 7. Once they have done so, ask the first question. If they answer correctly within 6 seconds, move on to the next question. If they answer incorrectly, or fail to answer within 6 seconds, record this as a 5-second penalty to be added to final score.  8. Record subject’s final score, and add the appropriate penalty, if any, to their time.

SUBJECTTRIAL 1 (LC)TRIAL 2 (LC)TRIAL 3 (sec)TRIAL 4 (sec)DIFFERENCE PERCENT CHANGE 1discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded discarded

P-value:

 P-value is well below the.05 cut-off, therefore the null hypothesis can be rejected.  The simulator is by no means a perfect replication of real-world driving.  Time and resources did not allow for a larger sample size.

 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).  25shortcuts.html 25shortcuts.html  Christine Rosen, "The Myth of Multitasking," The New Atlantis, Number 20, Spring 2008, pp  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  Human Factors and Ergonomics Society  Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.   Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London