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ERIC Number: EJ1205022
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Mar
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0735-6331
EISSN: N/A
Effects of "Whatsapp"'s Use on Working Memory Performance among Youth
Aharony, Noa; Zion, Avi
Journal of Educational Computing Research, v57 n1 p226-245 Mar 2019
The current study seeks to shed light on the usage habits of the "WhatsApp" application among teenagers, exploring the effect of mobile instant messaging distractions on pupils' working memory performance. Research was conducted in Israel during 2016 school year. The study sample was divided into two groups randomly--a control group and an experimental group. Researchers used six questionnaires to gather personal details, execution assessment questionnaire, and Working Memory Index from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV. The main findings show that "WhatsApp"'s distractions, transmitted via smartphones, decrease pupils' performance of working memory. In addition, students are aware of the difficulty "WhatsApp" causes while performing a learning task and of the decrease in learning effectiveness. The present study displays a unique experiment that explored the direct effect of the distractions stemming from a new technological platform--"WhatsApp"--on young pupils' working memory. Further, it suggests that instructors and teachers should be aware of the potential damage of multitasking caused by smartphone use during learning tasks.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A