The mere presence of a phone affects how you relate to others
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Most of us are no stranger to this scenario: A group of friends sits down to a meal together, laughing, swapping stories, and catching up on the news – but not necessarily with the people in front of them! Nowadays, it’s not unusual to have one’s phone handy on the table, easily within reach for looking up movie times, checking e-mails, showing off photos, or taking a call or two. It’s a rare person who doesn’t give in to a quick glance at the phone every now and then. Today’s multifunctional phones have become an indispensable lifeline to the rest of the world.
We might expect that the widespread availability of mobile phones boosts interpersonal connections, by allowing people to stay in touch constantly. But a recent set of studies by Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex showed that our phones can hurt our close relationships. Amazingly, they found that simply having a phone nearby, without even checking it, can be detrimental to our attempts at interpersonal connection.
Przybylski and Weinstein asked pairs of strangers to discuss a moderately intimate topic (an interesting event that had occurred to them within the last month) for 10 minutes. The strangers left their own belongings in a waiting area and proceeded to a private booth. Within the booth, they found two chairs facing each other and, a few feet away, out of their direct line of vision, there was a desk that held a book and one other item. Unbeknownst to the pair, the key difference in their interactions would be the second item on the desk. Some pairs engaged in their discussion with a nondescript cell phone nearby, whereas other pairs conversed while a pocket notebook lay nearby. After they finished the discussion, each of the strangers completed questionnaires about the relationship quality (connectedness) and feelings of closeness they had experienced. The pairs who chatted in the presence of the cell phone reported lower relationship quality and less closeness.
Przybylski and Weinstein followed up with a new experiment to see, in which contexts, the presence of a cell phone matters the most. This time, each pair of strangers was assigned a casual topic (their thoughts and feelings about plastic trees) or a meaningful topic (the most important events of the past year) to discuss — again, either with a cell phone or a notebook nearby. After their 10-minute discussion, the strangers answered questions about relationship quality, their feelings of trust, and the empathy they had felt from their discussion partners.
The presence of the cell phone had no effect on relationship quality, trust, and empathy, but only if the pair discussed the casual topic. In contrast, there were significant differences if the topic was meaningful. The pairs who conversed with a cell phone in the vicinity reported that their relationship quality was worse. The pairs also reported feeling less trust and thought that their partners showed less empathy if there was a cell phone present.
Thus, interacting in a neutral environment, without a cell phone nearby, seems to help foster closeness, connectedness, interpersonal trust, and perceptions of empathy — the building-blocks of relationships. Past studies have suggested that because of the many social, instrumental, and entertainment options phones afford us, they often divert our attention from our current environment, whether we are speeding down a highway or sitting through a meeting. The new research suggests that cell phones may serve as a reminder of the wider network to which we could connect, inhibiting our ability to connect with the people right next to us. Cell phone usage may even reduce our social consciousness.
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14 Comments
Add Comment"Less trust" is so hazy. I would have liked to see a report on more specific things. Record how many times people glance at the phone/notebook table, for example. At least you have some 'harder' data to compare, an indicator of distractedness beyond the subjects' feelings after the test.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThen again, what do I know? I've always found Psych sciences too soft for comfort... hazy.
Reminds me of a morning in Pompano Beach when I went down to watch the sunrise over the ocean. The show was just starting and some clouds were showing red. A coffee shop was open on the pier and I decided to get a cup to have as I watched. There was a couple at the counter getting their coffee.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs the sun started to show multicolors I expected them to be discussing nature's show. Not so! They were both on their phones texting---not even looking. I wondered why they were even together and why they even bothered to come down to the beach at 6 AM. For all the enjoyment of the sunrise they were missing---they could have stayed at home.
As for phones on a table for lunch or dinner. It is extremely rude to ignore the people you are with just to answer the phone. It can wait. The phone is not as important as the people who are sharing their personal time with you.
"Perhaps it would be going too far to prepare for important conversations by throwing your cell phone into the closet, or leaving it in the car on first dates."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs it *really* going too far to leave a phone in the car while on a date? Has it been that long since the days of checking our answering machines when we get home that we have forgotten that not everything is an emergency and needs to be dealt with now?
Let the phone sit, enjoy the people around you. If something is really an emergency, those who need you will know where you are and can call the restaurant. If not, it can most likely wait an hour or two.
Just my .02
However strong we think our need is to interact personally, there's probably a concurrent, conflicting urge in some of us some of the time to have a focus of displacement activity to avoid potentially awkward moments.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCloser to the surface, there's also an urge to show off just how important/needed we are.
Cell phones have made rudeness socially acceptable. Mine is turned off and in my car most of the time, since it is for MY convenience only and to use in case of emergency. It is not used for texting, surfing the Internet, or listening to music (though I admit I have taken a few photos with it). If anyone calls while I am driving, they have to wait until I can either pull over or get where I am going for a reply. Oddly, I find that if YOU don't use your phone constantly, very few people seem to need to call or text you. And, speaking of being disconnected from one's surroundings, I'm waiting to see a semi wipe out some moron texting while crossing the street!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article does not say if the sessions were recorded. If the sessions were not recorded then the participants may have thought that the cell phone could be recording them. Then they might be subconsciously more shy about the discussion which would bias the results.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the original manuscript, the researchers write, "Funneled debriefing of participants in both experiments indicated mobile phone placement was unobtrusive" (page 4 of the manuscript) and "...the debriefing procedure suggests that these effects might happen outside of conscious awareness" (page 9 of the manuscript).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUnfortunately, there wasn't more detail about what was asked during the debriefing, but it seems that the participants did not notice the presence of the phone.
Thanks for the comment. When I wrote "too far," I was simply referring to attempts at removing the presence of a phone during important conversations, not the act of avoiding interaction with one (which I agree is a preferable thing to do).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor example, do we need to make sure rooms are empty of all phones before conversations, or ask people dining at the next table to put their phones away so that our own table is not disturbed? In my book, that would be extreme.
Thanks for the comment. Good point. The authors of the original manuscript did not mention whether or not their sessions were recorded (most likely not), so your suggestion could be plausible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe authors did report that the debriefing at the end of the study procedure indicated that the phone placement was "unobtrusive," so participants may not have taken conscious notice of the phone at all.
This study merits interest because it demonstrates the striking effect that otherwise trivial artifacts serve as reminders of the broader and potentially remonstrating social milieu with which it behooves us to cohere (for our own welfare).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile Lin observes "The new research suggests that cell phones may serve as a reminder of the wider network to which we could connect, inhibiting our ability to connect with the people right next to us. Cell phone usage may even reduce our social consciousness." the effect likely originates from the greater inclination of some people to be concerned with how others might judge their statements and behavior. Might we not conclude that such preoccupation would then interfere with the fidelity or intimacy of the subjects' rapport?
I agree with your analysis on the variables chosen. Additionally, before we should take these studies 'to heart' we should know the sample size and demographic information.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is not a surprised if both use handphone while sitting face to face. But, it surprises me even we don't use handphones.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnyway, thanks for the blog post.
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthis is just what i needed to show my gf and make her understand how her constantly being on her cell phone is effecting our relationship it was very interesting enlightening and informative thank you very much! my gf wakes up rolls over and the first thing she does is check her phone and texing and its driving me crazy, i kepot track of how many time per day she was on her phone and it was 88 times in one day and its driving me insane, we cant even have dinner together without her paying more attention to me, ty very much for helping me put into words what i wanted her too understand about how this is straining out relationship!!!!
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