Simultaneous Media Usage: Effects on Attention

Abstract

Media layering, the simultaneous use of multiple unrelated media sources, has been documented as an increasing behavior trend (Roberts, Foehr, & Rideout, 2005) that marks a qualitative and quantitative difference in the way media is experienced. Presently, the impact on consumers from media layering is unknown. A strong theoretical foundation of human information processing theory predicts negative consequences in terms of performance cost in learning, and degradation of attention. Related research on dual task performance and multiple-channel processing demonstrates a decline in performance. This study compared sustained attention performance on a cancellation task, the d2 Test of Attention (Brickenkamp & Zillmer, 1998), in four varying media conditions. Performance scores were evaluated to determine the effect of degrees of extraneous media saturation and media interaction on attention task performance.