Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38409094›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychology2024

Is having your cell phone the key to happiness, or does it really matter? Evidence from a randomized double-blind study.

Todd McElroy, William Young

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Todd McElroyPsychology Department, Florida Gulf Coast University, The Water School, Ft. Myers, FL, USA. toddmcelroyfgcu@gmail.com.
William YoungFlorida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAffect can influence people's perceptions, decisions, and the way they make sense of an experience. Some studies show that having one's cell phone removed will lead to negative emotional reactions, while others have found no significant impact on how we feel. In this paper we investigate the impact of cell phone possession and removal on participant's affective state.

methodsWe use a randomized double-blind procedure to examine whether cell phone removal enhances negativity, promotes positivity, or is emotionally inconsequential. We measure affect using a PANAS self-report scale as well as a less transparent temporal-estimation procedure.

resultsOur findings suggest that cell phone possession or removal has no influence on a person's affective state.

conclusionsMeasured through both the PANAS self-report scale and temporal estimation task, affect remained consistent regardless of cell phone possession. These results suggest that cell phones may not carry the emotional weight often attributed to them. This finding challenges a common theme revolving around the negative emotional impact of cell phones and technology. Consequently, these findings may have important implications for the generally perceived notion that cell phones are having a negative effect on people's emotions.

Indexed as

Cell PhoneHappinessDouble-Blind MethodEmotionsHumansSelf ReportAffectCell phoneTechnology

Identifiers

PMID38409094
PMCPMC10898095

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.