Media multitasking, negative mood, and avoidance coping

Media multitasking is a prevalent phenomenon especially among adolescents and young adults. This study explored the possibility that media multitasking is used as an avoidance coping strategy against stress. If so, media multitasking behaviour could be monitored to detect symptoms of anxiety and depression. Across three experiments, participants completed measures of media multitasking, anxiety, depression, and cognitive behavioural avoidance. In each of the three experiments, participants also completed an attentional bias task (a dot probe task using emotionally negative and neutral stimuli). Media multitasking was associated with negative emotions, such as (social/trait) anxiety, depression, and cognitive behavioural avoidance. However, attentional avoidance was not linked to media multitasking, negative mood, or behavioural avoidance. Taken together, the results provide preliminary evidence that media multitasking is associated with negative emotions and behavioural avoidance, but not with an attentional avoidance of emotionally negative stimuli. The finding suggests that media multitasking behaviour may be used to help detect anxiety and depression, and treating these mental health disorders could include exploring the relationships between media multitasking, negative emotions, and avoidance coping

Avoidance coping · Cognitive psychology · Coping (psychology) · Human multitasking · Mood · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Measures of Media Multitasking

  Open Access•Kirrilee Brandon, Karen Murphy et al.•Human Behavior and Emerging…•2026

  Añadir item

• Cognitive control in media multitaskers

  Open Access•Eyal Ophir, Clifford Nass et al.•Proceedings of the National…•2009

  Añadir item

• Who Multi-Tasks and Why? Multi-Tasking Ability, Perceived Multi-Tasking Ability, Impulsivity, and Sensation Seeking

  Open Access•David M Sanbonmatsu, David L Strayer et al.•PLoS ONE•2013

  Añadir item

• Selective attention and emotional vulnerability

  Colin Macleod, Elizabeth Rutherford et al.•Journal of Abnormal Psychology•2002

  Añadir item

• Attentional bias in emotional disorders.

  Colin Macleod, Andrew Mathews et al.•Journal of Abnormal Psychology•1986

  Añadir item

• Presentation and validation of the Radboud Faces Database

  Oliver Langner, Ron Dotsch et al.•Cognition & Emotion•2010

  Añadir item

• Mini-SPIN

  Open Access•Kathryn M Connor, Kenneth A Kobak et al.•Depression and Anxiety•2001

  Añadir item

• Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders

  Open Access•Matthias Brand, Kimberly S Young et al.•Neuroscience & Biobehavioral…•2016

  Añadir item

• The PHQ-9

  Kurt Kroenke, Robert L Spitzer et al.•Journal of General Internal…•2001

  Añadir item

• Effects of signalling mechanisms on cognitive engagement with educational videos in informal learning on social media

  Zixing Shen, Songxin Tan et al.•Behaviour and Information…•2024

  Añadir item

• Multitasking across generations

  Open Access•L Mark Carrier, Nancy A Cheever et al.•Computers in Human Behavior•2008

  Añadir item

• The “Myth” of Media Multitasking

  Open Access•Zheng Wang, John M Tchernev•Journal of Communication•2012

  Añadir item

• Is there a mutual relationship between opposite attentional biases underlying anxiety

  Renzo Onnis, Mark R Dadds et al.•Emotion•2011

  Añadir item

• Monitoring and blunting

  Suzanne M Miller•Journal of Personality and Social…•1987

  Añadir item

• From Psychological Stress to the Emotions

  Richard S Lazarus•Annual Review of Psychology•1993

  Añadir item

• Attentional bias for positive emotional stimuli

  Eva Pool, Eva R Pool et al.•Psychological Bulletin•2016

  Añadir item