That's distracting! Assessing stimulations on cognitive performance, memory, and affect

This study sought to understand the links between distractions (via audio & visual stimulations) and areas known to be impacted by screen time, such as cognitive performance, short-term memory, and affect. Literature provides evidence of issues throughout critical developmental stages in our life being impacted by excessive screen exposure. Excessive screen time and the ease of access to children and adolescents warrants further investigation into the impact screens may play (Marciano et al., 2021). This study exposed participants to different levels of audio and visual stimuli to replicate tv screen exposure. The following variables were assessed in this study: cognitive performance, memory, sleep, and affect. Participants (N = 63) were recruited through a local west Texas University and all questionnaires were completed in person. Analysis revealed a significant effect of audio stimulations on memory, as well as interaction effects of audio and visual stimulation on cognitive performance. Hierarchical Multiple Regressions also predicted students affect when accounting for audio and visual stimuli and sleep. This research gives further understanding of how stimulations can affect college students and highlights future clinical implications.