Computers
in Human Behaviour (2,273)
The journal addresses the use of
computers in a form of a psychological perspective and how it impacts the use
for every individual, group and the whole society. How it effects the human development,
learning, cognition, personality and social interactions. It gives an analysis
of the human behaviour in relation to usage of computers.
“TV
no longer commands our full attention”: Effects of second-screen viewing and
task relevance on cognitive load and learning from news.
The article is about the increasing
usage of second-screen viewing wile watching television, it contributes to decreased
attention and the television has become the most common device that is used in
multitasking environment. The investigation of these phenomena analyses how
people watching television and dedicate their attention during this time at the
mobile device. The method is based on staging the everyday situation while
looking to news and at the same time use a computer to answers questions. After
finishing the task, they’ll answers some short questioners that handle the news
on the television. This analyse weather the people had attention on the screen
or at the television during the task. The groups attending to this
investigation was analysed by their age, gender, education, cognition, Internet
self-efficacy etc. Discussions will show that their hypotheses met their
expectations, the second-screen viewing leads to a lower factual recall and
comprehension of news than non-multitasking.
Before the study, they come up with some
hypotheses’ that contributed to a stricter work to help achieve the goals. But
it can also manipulate the results at the end, if they know what they will come
up with. It was easy to follow and understand what was the aim of the study. I
also wonder weather the collected data meet the credibility and reliability?
The number of participants (85) was enough I think, but the target group was
only students. I think the participants have to be from different group in the
society, to meet the results to represent the general population.
It was also hard to find the conclusion,
they didn’t explain how the second-screen viewing affecting the learning from
news. They just analyse the results based on the hypotheses’ and for each part.
1. Briefly explain to a first year university student
what theory is, and what theory is not.
First of all, the term Theory is very
diffused and hard to explain even for my self, even though I have been in
contact with it for several of times before. Its easier to explain that its not
and give examples of it. Theory is a collection of results and conclusions that
researches have come up with from different kind of investigations and it can
be categorized in different areas (analysing, explaining, predicting,
explaining &predicting and design & action). According to Gregor (2006)
it can be hypothesis that has been confirmed, statements of principles or
something known that has to be observed. Simplistic, it’s something that you
would like to explain or investigate whether it meets some expectations, for
that you’ll have to analyse and made studies on that particular question. To
answer on the question, you’ll need to collect data, and remember data aren’t
theory even though the references you use. It’s important to separate the
theory from the collecting of info and data to analyse and make theories of.
2. Describe the major theory or theories that are used
in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the
theory or theories be characterized as?
In the article of second-screen viewing they use quantitative data where
they have a group of people watching news at the same time as using a computer,
to answers some questions about the daily news. Before the investigation, they
came up with some hypotheses’ that they would analyse and see if they were
true. To prove and look at these things, they used several steps to collect
data and get feedback of the hypotheses’. They have questioners that analysis
how much the participants remember from the task. I would like to categorise
this type of theorise as a prediction, because of the tests of something
reachable and very natural.
3. Which
are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?
The limits of the investigation its the design of the tasks it may not meet the expectations of the real world. The participants know the tasks and it may contribute to wrong data, the theme of the task differs from the real worlds experience of second-screen viewing. Most people’s second-screen viewing are in their home, sitting by the television and check social media, news that are interesting them and not a boring task to solve. That will modify the attention from the participants and the investigation may not contribute to a credibility result.
The limits of the investigation its the design of the tasks it may not meet the expectations of the real world. The participants know the tasks and it may contribute to wrong data, the theme of the task differs from the real worlds experience of second-screen viewing. Most people’s second-screen viewing are in their home, sitting by the television and check social media, news that are interesting them and not a boring task to solve. That will modify the attention from the participants and the investigation may not contribute to a credibility result.
The study gives a quantitative result,
that gain knowledge about the students it self.
Hi Kicki,
SvaraRaderaI think the paper you read seem to be very interesting! The usage of a second screen while watching television seem to increase among all generations, but especially the younger once. I wonder what this does with our minds and brain. I feel a lot more stressed when I am watching TV and at the same time checking my phone (and sometimes even phone and computer). I also think it is harder to be focused on what happens on any of the screens when there is so many different impressions to take in. Do you agree with me?
I think that the method, they used in the paper, of testing where the users attention was directed was a good and interesting one. Too bad that the results of the study was hard to find, it would have been interesting to se their conclusion of the study.
Yes, charlotte I’m totally agree with you. When I’m watching TV I have to put the phone or other devices at the side, I need to separate these screens from each other. As you mention, it’s scary to be in the generation of doing everything at the same time. These multitasking and to be online around the clock, make me stressed up and outside. Sometimes I need to be offline to feel comfortable again. And it contributes to miss something happening in media and regarding my friends, because it’s hip with these communication channels.
RaderaHi Kicki!
SvaraRaderaI think this sounds like an interesting study, mostly because I myself use a second screen (my mobile phone) very often while watching TV. I really agree with you that the participants in the study would preferably be from different groups than only students. I believe that it is the case in most researches (at least in those that don't specifically want to find results among a specific group of people), but in this case, where the researchers investigate how the usage of second screens affects us, it is even more important. Students are often younger than average and I therefore believe that students, who sort of have been growing up with technologies and several screens surrounding them, react to second screen usage differently than, for example, our parents and grandparents. It is not "fair" for the study to only do the test on people that are familiar with the technologies and are used to second screen usage. What I am trying to say is that I think, when analyzing and investigating technology aspects in some kind of way, it is vital to have people from all ages and social groups as participants to avoid that there is only technology experienced people who are in the test group.