No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance

The proliferation and ease of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as Facebook, text messaging, and instant messaging has resulted in ICT users being presented with more real-time streaming data than ever before. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in individuals increasingly engaging in multitasking as an information management strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine how college students multitask with ICTs and to determine the impacts of this multitasking on their college grade point average (GPA). Using web survey data from a large sample of college students at one university (N = 1839), we found that students reported spending a large amount of time using ICTs on a daily basis. Students reported frequently searching for content not related to courses, using Facebook, emailing, talking on their cell phones, and texting while doing schoolwork. Hierarchical (blocked) linear regression analyses revealed that using Facebook and texting while doing schoolwork were negatively associated with overall college GPA. Engaging in Facebook use or texting while trying to complete schoolwork may tax students' capacity for cognitive processing and preclude deeper learning. Our research indicates that the type and purpose of ICT use matters in terms of the educational impacts of multitasking.     

College students' cell phone use and attachment to parents and peers

College students spend hours each day using their cell phones. A common motivation for this behavior is the maintenance of social relations. Yet depending on cell phone use behavior, cell phone use could potentially strengthen or weaken social relations. We investigated this possibility with a survey (N = 493) assessing students' perceptions of important social relations (i.e., Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment) and various cell phone use behaviors. The relationship between cell phone use and Parent Attachment was modeled with three regression equations, one for each Parent Attachment subscale (i.e., communication, trust, alienation). These subscales were the criterion variables. Each regression equation contained the same predictor variables: total daily cell phone use, calling, texting, and problematic use. Anxiety and self-esteem were control variables. The relationship between cell phone use and Peer Attachment was modeled similarly. Regression equations were estimated simultaneously using the Seemingly Unrelated Regression technique. For males: calling, texting and total daily use were not related to parent or peer attachment; problematic use was negatively related to parent and peer attachment. For females: calling was positively related to parental attachment and texting to peer attachment; problematic use was negatively related to parent and peer attachment. Implications are discussed.     

Facebook use and academic performance among college students: A mixed-methods study with a multi-ethnic sample

This paper uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the relation between online academic disclosure and academic performance. A multi-ethnic sample of college students (N = 261; male = 66; female = 195; M age ≈ 22 years) responded to open-ended questions about their Facebook use. Thematic analysis revealed that over 14% of the Facebook wall posts/status updates (N = 714) contained academic themes; positive states were more frequent than negative and neutral states and students with lower GPAs expressed negative states more often. A path analysis suggested that academic performance may determine college students’ Facebook use, rather than the reverse. Implications for student support services are discussed.     

Facebook or Renren? A comparative study of social networking site use and social capital among Chinese international students in the United States

Social networking sites (SNSs) are important tools for college students to maintain and develop social capital. Yet, few studies on the social implications of using SNSs have focused on international students and their use of different social media platforms for social capital. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the implications of using host country and home country SNSs for social capital among Chinese international students in the United States. A survey of Chinese international students at a large public university (N = 210) reveals that both Facebook and Renren use are positively associated with bridging social capital but not with bonding social capital. Facebook use has a stronger relationship with bridging social capital than does Renren use. Yet, only Renren use has a significant and positive relationship with maintaining home country social capital. These results have practical implications for international students to develop different types of social capital through different social media platforms.     

Cyberbullying: The hidden side of college students

The purpose of this study was to investigate how university students perceive their involvement in the cyberbullying phenomenon, and its impact on their well-being. Thus, this study presents a preliminary approach of how college students’ perceived involvement in acts of cyberbullying can be measured. Firstly, Exploratory Factor Analysis (N = 349) revealed a unidimensional structure of the four scales included in the Cyberbullying Inventory for College Students. Then, Item Response Theory (N = 170) was used to analyze the unidimensionality of each scale and the interactions between participants and items. Results revealed good item reliability and Cronbach’s α for each scale. Results also showed the potential of the instrument and how college students underrated their involvement in acts of cyberbullying. Additionally, aggression types, coping strategies and sources of help to deal with cyberbullying were identified and discussed. Lastly, age, gender and course-related issues were considered in the analysis. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

How do people use Facebook features to manage social capital?

The goal of this study is to examine and understand the relationship between the utilization of Facebook features and two types of social capital: bonding and bridging. An online survey was conducted using a college sample (n = 256). The results show that, with bonding social capital, the frequent use of Like feature was positively associated whereas that of Comment was negatively associated. With bridging social capital, the frequent use of Wall was positively associated. The results also show that the preference for Wall, Friend, Comment, News Feed, Like, Message, Photo, and Chat was positively associated with both bonding and bridging social capital. On the other hand, the preference for Status and Group was positively associated only with bridging social capital. Limitations of this study and the implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.     

Internet use and verbal aggression: The moderating role of parents and peers

This research investigated the influence of parent–adolescent communication quality, as perceived by the adolescents, on the relationship between adolescents’ Internet use and verbal aggression. Adolescents (N = 363, age range 10–16, M_T1 = 12.84, SD = 1.93) were examined twice with a six-month delay. Controlling for social support in general terms, moderated regression analyses showed that Internet-related communication quality with parents determined whether Internet use is associated with an increase or a decrease in adolescents’ verbal aggression scores over time. A three way interaction indicated that high Internet-related communication quality with peers can have disadvantageous effects if the communication quality with parents is low. Implications on resources and risk factors related to the effects of Internet use are discussed.     

Are we addicted to our cell phones?

Cellular telephone use has become extremely widespread over the past several years. There has been concern that current high levels of cell phone use may be compared to a behavioral addiction. However, this has yet to be thoroughly tested. This area of research also lacks in determining what the causes and consequences of consistent cell phone use may be. The present study examined the prevalence of characteristics of a cell phone addiction among a university student population along with possible predictors of high frequency use. Participants were a total of 152 undergraduate students (n = 35 males and n = 117 females). It was hypothesized that anxiety, as measured using self-report questionnaires, would increase upon having access to one's cell phone limited for high frequency users. However, anxiety only increased when participants had their cell phone sitting in front of them and were instructed not to use them. Predictors and variables hypothesized to be related included social anxiety, social connectedness, and addiction-proneness. Results indicated that social anxiety and addiction-proneness are significant predictors of frequent cell phone use, but social connectedness has no significant connection. This study provided insights into why cell phones are sometimes used so compulsively, and if frequency of cell phone use is becoming so high that it is becoming a new behavioral addiction.     

Factors involved in associations between Facebook use and college adjustment: Social competence,perceived usefulness,and use patterns

Although previous research has investigated widespread use of social media, especially Facebook, by youth attending college, the conditions under which these media foster adjustment to college remain unclear. This study tested a model illuminating pathways linking social competence to college adjustment via students’ perceptions about the usefulness of Facebook and ways in which they used the medium. Self-report survey data from 321 college students (M age = 20.09; 58% female; 84% Caucasian) attending a major Midwestern university supported the proposed model, indicating that higher social competence could foster or impede college adjustment, depending upon how it was related to beliefs about the usefulness of different Facebook functions and how these perceptions, in turn, were associated with patterns of Facebook use. Findings underscore the importance of considering connections among personal attributes, perception of media effectiveness, and media behaviors in assessing the implications of social media for users’ psychosocial well-being.     

Exploring depression and problematic internet use among college females: A multisite study

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess associations between depression and problematic internet use (PIU) among female college students, and determine whether Internet use time moderates this relationship.MethodThis cross-sectional survey included 265 female college students from four U.S. universities. Students completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) and self-reported daily Internet use. Analyses included multivariate analysis of variance and Poisson regression.ResultsParticipants reported mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 1.7) and were 84.9% Caucasian. The mean PHQ-9 score was 5.4 (SD = 4.6); the mean PRIUSS score was 16.4 (SD = 11.1). Participants’ risk for PIU increased by 27% with each additional 30 min spent online using a computer (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14–1.42, p < .0001). Risk for PIU was significantly increased among those who met criteria for severe depression (RR = 8.16 95% CI: 4.27–15.6, p < .0001). The PHQ-9 items describing trouble concentrating, psychomotor dysregulation and suicidal ideation were most strongly associated with PIU risk.ConclusionsThe positive relationship between depression and PIU among female college students supports screening for both conditions, particularly among students reporting particular depression symptoms.     

A new discrete circuit for readout of resistive sensor arrays

In this paper, we present a method that simplifies the interconnect complexity of N × M resistive sensor arrays from N × M to N + M. In this method, we propose to use two sets of interconnection lines in row–column fashion with all the sensor elements having one of their ends connected to a row line and other end to a column line. This interconnection overloading results in crosstalk among all the elements. This crosstalk causes the spreading of information over the whole array. The proposed circuit in this method takes care of this effect by minimizing the crosstalk. The circuit makes use of the concept of virtual same potential at the inputs of an operational amplifier in negative feedback to obtain a sufficient isolation among various elements. We theoretically present the suitability of the method for small/moderate sized sensor arrays and experimentally verify the predicted behavior by lock-in-amplifier based measurements on a light dependent resistor (LDR) in a 4 × 4 resistor array. Finally, we present a successful implementation of this method on a 16 × 16 imaging array of LDR.     

Social network site use,mobile personal talk and social capital among teenagers

Social network sites (SNSs) and mobile phones are becoming increasingly important in teenagers’ lives. Using data collected from a nationally representative survey (N = 800), this study explores the variation of social capital by SNS adoption, different SNS activities, and mobile personal talk among teenagers. The results indicate that SNS adoption and mobile personal talk can not only enhance teenagers’ close ties with friends, but also jointly promote teenagers’ civic engagement. Among SNS users, mobile personal talk also increase teens’ network capital. Different SNS activities such as commenting on friend’s Facebook pictures and joining Facebook groups have different relationships with social capital, and such relationships are moderated by mobile personal talk.     

On the influence of the number of algorithms,problems, and independent runs in the comparison of evolutionary algorithms

When conducting a comparison between multiple algorithms on multiple optimisation problems it is expected that the number of algorithms, problems and even the number of independent runs will affect the final conclusions. Our question in this research was to what extent do these three factors affect the conclusions of standard Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) and the conclusions of our novel method for comparison and ranking the Chess Rating System for Evolutionary Algorithms (CRS4EAs). An extensive experiment was conducted and the results were gathered and saved of k = 16 algorithms on N = 40 optimisation problems over n = 100 runs. These results were then analysed in a way that shows how these three values affect the final results, how they affect ranking and which values provide unreliable results. The influence of the number of algorithms was examined for values k = {4, 8, 12, 16}, number of problems for values N = {5, 10, 20, 40}, and number of independent runs for values n = {10, 30, 50, 100}. We were also interested in the comparison between both methods – NHST's Friedman test with post-hoc Nemenyi test and CRS4EAs – to see if one of them has advantages over the other. Whilst the conclusions after analysing the values of k were pretty similar, this research showed that the wrong value of N can give unreliable results when analysing with the Friedman test. The Friedman test does not detect any or detects only a small number of significant differences for small values of N and the CRS4EAs does not have a problem with that. We have also shown that CRS4EAs is an appropriate method when only a small number of independent runs n are available.     

Performance analysis of networks of queues under active queue management scheme

Analysis of networks of queues under repetitive service blocking mechanism has been presented in this paper. Nodes are connected according to an arbitrary configuration and each node in the networks employs an active queue management (AQM) based queueing policy to guarantee certain quality of service for multiple class external traffic. This buffer management scheme has been implemented using queue thresholds. The use of queue thresholds is a well known technique for network traffic congestion control. The analysis is based on a queue-by-queue decomposition technique where each queue is modelled as a GE/GE/1/N queue with single server, R (R ⩾ 2) distinct traffic classes and {N = N₁, N₂, … , N_R} buffer threshold values per class under first-come-first-serve (FCFS) service rule. The external traffic is modelled using the generalised exponential (GE) distribution which can capture the bursty property of network traffic. The analytical solution is obtained using the maximum entropy (ME) principle. The forms of the state and blocking probabilities are analytically established at equilibrium via appropriate mean value constraints. The initial numerical results demonstrate the credibility of the proposed analytical solution.     

Too much face and not enough books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance

Because of the social media platform’s widespread adoption by college students, there is a great deal of interest in how Facebook use is related to academic performance. A small number of prior studies have examined the relationship between Facebook use and college grade point average (GPA); however, these studies have been limited by their measures, sampling designs and failure to include prior academic ability as a control variable. For instance, previous studies used non-continuous measures of time spent on Facebook and self-reported GPA. This paper fills a gap in the literature by using a large sample (N = 1839) of college students to examine the relationship among multiple measures of frequency of Facebook use, participation in Facebook activities, and time spent preparing for class and actual overall GPA. Hierarchical (blocked) linear regression analyses revealed that time spent on Facebook was strongly and significantly negatively related to overall GPA, while only weakly related to time spent preparing for class. Furthermore, using Facebook for collecting and sharing information was positively predictive of the outcome variables while using Facebook for socializing was negatively predictive.     

Do badges increase user activity? A field experiment on the effects of gamification

During recent years, the practice of adding game design to non-game services has gained a relatively large amount of attention. Popular discussion connects gamification to increased user engagement, service profitability, goal commitment and the overall betterment of various behavioral outcomes. However, there is still an absence of a coherent and ample body of empirical evidence that would confirm such expectations. To this end, this paper reports the results of a 2 year (1 + 1 year – between-group) field experiment in gamifying a service by implementing a game mechanic called ‘badges’. During the experiment a pre-implementation group (N = 1410) was monitored for 1 year. After the implementation, the post-implementation (the gamified condition) group (N = 1579) was monitored for another full year. Results show that users in the gamified condition were significantly more likely to post trade proposals, carry out transactions, comment on proposals and generally use the service in a more active way.     

An investigation of Big Five and narrow personality traits in relation to Internet usage

The relationship between Internet usage and the Big Five as well as three narrow personality traits was examined using 117 undergraduates as study participants. Results indicated that total Internet usage was negatively related to three of the Big Five traits – Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion as well as two narrow traits – Optimism and Work Drive, and positively related to Tough-Mindedness. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that Work Drive added significantly to Extraversion and Conscientious in the prediction of total Internet usage, producing a multiple correlation of 0.349 (p < 0.01). Results were discussed individually by trait, in terms of broad versus narrow personality traits, and regarding suggestions for future research.     

Mobile phone use among college students is a sedentary leisure behavior which may interfere with exercise

Research suggests that cell phone use is related to sedentary behavior, that cell phone use during exercise reduces intensity, and that high frequency cell phone users are less fit than other users. Thus, cell phone use appears connected to health and fitness behaviors and should be better understood within this context. The present study investigated the sedentary nature of cell phone use, and examined the likelihood of cellphone use interfering with exercise behavior.DesignA validated survey was administered to a random sample of students from a public US university (N = 226).ResultsMean self-reported cell phone use was 380 min day⁻¹, 87% reported cell phone use primarily occurs while sitting, and 70% of use was for leisure. Cell phone use was positively related to sedentary behavior (β = 0.30, p < 0.001). It was not related to physical activity. However, the likelihood of cell phone use during moderate (p = 0.006) and mild (p < 0.001) intensity exercise increased as cell phone use increased.ConclusionLike other screens (e.g., TVs), cell phone use appears to be a sedentary leisure behavior. Furthermore, high frequency use increases the likelihood that it will occur during exercise, likely lowering exercise intensity.     

High texting rates mediate oral sex and intercourse experience in a longitudinal study of high school students

PurposeFew studies link technology use to normative sexual outcomes despite concerns that high use may be accelerating sexual development. This study used longitudinal online survey data to predict sexual development (having had a boyfriend or girlfriend, first oral sex, first intercourse) and tests for mediation by four types of technology use common among adolescents: texting (from a mobile phone), general Internet/computer use, video gaming, and watching television.MethodsParticipants were 366 adolescents (37% male; 13–17 years) from eight Eastern Canadian high schools. All participants completed a range of measures assessing demographic information, sexual and relationship histories, and recent use of technologies. Participants (72%) completed the survey at a follow-up assessment two years later.ResultsAfter adjusting for age, higher levels of texting mediated the relationships in reports of both oral sex and sexual intercourse over time. The association between texting and sexual intercourse was moderated by parental closeness. No other technology was linked to sexual outcomes.ConclusionsTexting appears to have unique features not shared by the other technologies, possibly related to its highly interactive nature. Insights regarding these outcomes are of value given the rapid uptake of new technologies by youth. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of technology in helping to meet intimacy and relational needs common to adolescents.