How bad is the mere presence of a phone? A replication of Przybylski and Weinstein (2013) and an extension to creativity.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Controlled experimental laboratory replication study across two experiments.
PubMed 34106931 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251451
What was done
Conducted two experiments (N = 356 participants, 136 groups) replicating Przybylski and Weinstein (2013) and extending testing to creativity. Unacquainted participants had a conversation in the mere presence of either a smartphone or a notebook (control). Participants then completed creative tasks in groups (Studies 1 and 2) or individually (Study 1).
What was found
Across both experiments, the study failed to replicate the original finding that the presence of a phone impairs relationship quality between strangers. The study also found no effect of phone presence on creativity. The abstract reports no numerical values, test statistics, or effect sizes.
Why it matters
Challenges the widely cited finding that the mere presence of a smartphone harms interpersonal connection, suggesting previous effects are fragile or harder to detect than assumed.
Limits
The abstract reports no exact statistics, effect sizes, or demographic details. The laboratory design using brief interactions between strangers may not generalize to naturalistic contexts or established relationships.
Cited by
- contradicts The simple presence of a smartphone on a table impairs interpersonal social interaction, even with notifications disabled.