Effects of Multitasking on Retaining Information

The Effect of Multitasking on Retaining Information

by

Georgia Regan

IB Psychology (High Level)
Word Count: 1501
Date of Submission: August 31st 2012

Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Method 5
Design
Participants
Materials
Procedure 6
Results 7
Discussion 8
Works Cited 9
Appendix i: Raw Data 10
Appendix ii: Standard Deviation (Experimental) 11
Appendix iii: Standard Deviation (Control) 12
Appendix iv: Informed Consent Form 13
Appendix v: Standardised instructions 14
Appendix vi: Debriefing Statement 15
Appendix vii: Computer Game 16
Appendix viii: Trivia Facts 17
Appendix ix: Trivia Questions 18

Abstract
The aim of this experiment was to test effects of multitasking whilst attempting to retain information. This was investigated in a sample of year eight students at Kambala Girls School. The two groups of students, broken up in tutorial groups, heard the same random trivia facts read out via a recoding, and were tested with copies of the same trivia quiz sheets. The experimental condition used their Apple MacBooks to play “The Adventures of Blob Bob” a simple, online platform game, whereas, the control group were asked to only listen to the quiz results. Students’ results in the experimental condition suffered more so than those in the control group. There were particular questions that were consistently answered incorrectly, and a few girls had prior knowledge, however it was not consistent knowledge among all the girls. There was also one student who refused to participate in the quiz in the experimental condition. The amount of facts read out could have been too extensive, and, therefore, if this experiment