scholarly journals Are smartphones really that bad? Improving the psychological measurement of technology-related behaviors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Alexander Ellis

Understanding how people use technology remains important, particularly when measuring the impact this might have on individuals and society. To date, research within psychological science often frames new technology as problematic with overwhelmingly negative consequences. However, this paper argues that the latest generation of psychometric tools, which aim to assess smartphone usage, are unable to capture technology related experiences or behaviors. As a result, many conclusions concerning the psychological impact of technology use remain unsound. Current assessments have also failed to keep pace with new methodological developments and these data-intensive approaches challenge the notion that smartphones and related technologies are inherently problematic. The field should now consider how it might re-position itself conceptually and methodologically given that many ‘addictive’ technologies have long since become intertwined with daily life.

Author(s):  
Kristoffer Geyer ◽  
David A. Ellis ◽  
Heather Shaw ◽  
Brittany I. Davidson

AbstractPsychological science has spent many years attempting to understand the impact of new technology on people and society. However, the frequent use of self-report methods to quantify patterns of usage struggle to capture subtle nuances of human–computer interaction. This has become particularly problematic for devices like smartphones that are used frequently and for a variety of purposes. While commercial apps can provide an element of objectivity, these are ‘closed’ and cannot be adapted to deliver a researcher-focused ‘open’ platform that allows for straightforward replication. Therefore, we have developed an Android app that provides accurate, highly detailed, and customizable accounts of smartphone usage without compromising participants’ privacy. Further recommendations and code are provided to assist with data analysis. All source code, materials, and data are freely available (see links in supplementary materials section).


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Alexander Ellis ◽  
Brittany I Davidson ◽  
Heather Shaw ◽  
Kris Geyer

Understanding how people use technology remains important, particularly when measuring the impact this might have on individuals and society. However, despite a growing body of resources that can quantify smartphone use, research within psychology and social science overwhelmingly relies on self-reported assessments. These have yet to convincingly demonstrate an ability to predict objective behavior. Here, and for the first time, we compare a variety of smartphone use and ‘addiction’ scales with objective behaviors derived from Apple’s Screen Time application. While correlations between psychometric scales and objective behavior are generally poor, single estimates and measures that attempt to frame technology use as habitual rather than ‘addictive’ correlate more favorably with subsequent behavior. We conclude that existing self-report instruments are unlikely to be sensitive enough to accurately predict basic technology use related behaviors. As a result, conclusions regarding the psychological impact of technology are unreliable when relying solely on these measures to quantify typical usage.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Geyer ◽  
David Alexander Ellis ◽  
Heather Shaw ◽  
Brittany I Davidson

Psychological science has spent many years attempting to understand the impact of new technology on people and society. However, the frequent use of self-report methods to quantify patterns of usage struggle to capture subtle nuances of human-computer interaction. This has become particularly problematic for devices like smartphones that are used frequently and for a variety of purposes. While commercial apps can provide an element of objectivity, these are ‘closed’ and cannot be adapted to deliver a researcher-focused ‘open’ platform that allows for straightforward replication. Therefore, we have developed a freely available android app, which provides accurate, highly detailed, and customisable accounts of smartphone usage without compromising participants privacy. Further recommendations and code are provided in order to assist with data analysis.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-28
Author(s):  
Steven Barreto ◽  
Sue K. Adams ◽  
Jennifer Daly

Digital technology use is an integral part of children’s and adolescent’s lives. With the rapid evolution of technology, adult caregivers can easily feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of setting boundaries on technology use. Family systems theory offers a unique perspective for understanding how external factors (i.e., technology) can impede or enhance the family system, particularly when integrated into a developmental framework. Five clinical concepts are presented that weave together developmental tasks and family systems theory. This paper offers recommendations for clinicians to help parents understand the potentially harmful consequences of technology use across the developmental spectrum. We also provide recommendations for how to support parents in discussing technology use with their children and adolescents. Lastly, we offer suggestions for how the impact of technology use on development can be integrated into human service courses at the university level.


SLEEP ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. A140-A140
Author(s):  
L M Repa ◽  
N Rodriguez ◽  
S N Garland

Author(s):  
Kelly E. Proulx ◽  
Mark A. Hager ◽  
Denise A. Wittstock

Traditional volunteer management is a bureaucratic process involving recruitment, screening, training, assignment, scheduling, recognition, retention, and reporting on volunteers. New workplace technologies provide ways to conduct these tasks with greater efficiency and increased accuracy, thereby enhancing both the volunteer experience and the impact of volunteers on organizational operations. This chapter reviews the literature regarding theories of technology acceptance and use, technology use in nonprofit organizations, and technology in volunteer programs. Three organizational case studies provide insights into both the promise and limitations of the adoption and use of Volgistics, a commonly used Web-based software designed for volunteer management in nonprofit organizations. The authors conclude by discussing what these cases suggest for the challenges and promise of adoption of new technology in the management of volunteers.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nilay Muslu

Formative assessment is essential for improving student learning. Formative assessment research has predominantly used cognitive learning theories. In this dissertation study, I used sociocultural learning perspectives to understand how formative assessment supported student learning during interaction and how it empowered students. This dissertation included three manuscripts. The first manuscript was a conceptual study. I developed a new formative assessment cycle that was built on sociocultural perspectives and prior formative assessment cycles. The model included four steps: building community, monitoring community, community mediation, and redefining goals. These steps were described in detail with examples, and the roles of the teacher, learners, and peers were discussed. Future researchers may potentially use the model to understand formative assessment practices. Practicing teachers and teacher educators may benefit from the provided examples for classroom implementation of the model. In the empirical part of the dissertation, Chapter Three and Chapter Four, the participant teacher, who was a high school physics teacher, was selected from teachers that had been actively using iPads in their classrooms. This study was conducted at a public high school in the Midwest United States that had a diverse student population. Data were collected across eighteen class sessions. Primary data sources included video recorded observation of class sections, iPad applications, and teacher interviews. Supporting secondary sources included pictures taken during observations, lesson plans, assessment examples, student-works, and student interviews. In the second manuscript, I examined a high school physics teacher's technology enhanced classroom to understand the impact of technology on the teacher's formative assessment practices, and how the iPad influenced the formative assessment process, by using sociocultural learning perspectives. The participant teacher's formative assessment practices were described (members, tools, and classroom norms). Results showed that influences of the iPad on the formative assessment process were: 1) transforming classroom community, 2) empowering students, and 3) facilitating evidence-based discussions. This study shed light on: the impact of technology use on the teacher's formative assessment practice, how the impact rebuilt the classroom norms, and how technology use impacted student identity development. In the third manuscript, I focused on the most important aspect of formative assessment - feedback. I examined how well iPad applications (apps) supported providing feedback. Then, I compared the app affordances with teacher practice. To enable analysis of data, I enhanced Hatzipanagos and Warburton's (2009) feedback dimensions. Analysis revealed app diversity in supporting different feedback dimensions, and the teacher, through additional discussion and interactions with students, was able to support dimensions that an app did not. The provided examples of app affordances and teacher practices may be beneficial to prospective and practicing teachers. Application designers may benefit from this study towards improving their apps to support effective feedback.


2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-211
Author(s):  
Paweł Piotr Nowak ◽  

Based on an analysis of selected definitions of the terms used for society and culture, the author creates the sociological theoretical framework for the article. In conjunction with the characterized phenomenon of digital transformation, extensive and far-reaching conclusions are formulated on the impact of new technology for postmodernity. In relation to the scientific achievements of Buber and Tischner, the author deeply analyzes the assumptions of philosophy of dialogue. This allows the observation of a wide dimension in the relationship between the relational nature of social relations, the condition of the individual, the durability of the systems humans create, the technocratic direction of civilizational development and the consumerist attitude to reality in contemporary society of the 21st century. The author describes technological worship and presents the negative consequences of digital transformation processes. On the example of the service sector, the transition is presented as symbolic culture based on the relations and dialogue with technical and functional culture. The research method used in the article is a review of the scientific literature. In the study, the author set the goal of determining the impact of digital transformation on humans in the context of the definition of culture and society. As a result of the research, the author states that technological insight (i.e. looking at technology as a way of resolving all contemporary problems) has the danger of successively weakening man, and could lead to a deepening of social inequalities. The author also emphasizes the need to deepen research on the consequences of the digital transformation on society and culture and to develop models that can reduce the negative consequences of the change process.


Ekonomika ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-74
Author(s):  
Maja Ivanović-Đukić ◽  
Tamara Rađenović ◽  
Miljana Talić

The paper analyses the contribution of different types of innovative entrepreneurship: new products entrepreneurship, new technology development entrepreneurship, high growth expectation entrepreneurship and average growth expectation entrepreneurship to economic growth in emerging markets. The aim of paper is to identify types of innovative entrepreneurship which have the greatest contribution to economic growth in emerging markets and propose measures that macroeconomic policy makers could implement to achieve sustainable economic growth. The regression analysis is performed in order to estimate the impact of different types of innovative entrepreneurship on economic growth in 13 emerging markets. The results have shown that a high growth expectation entrepreneurship has the greatest influence on economic growth. Also, results have shown that impact of new products entrepreneurship is bigger than impact of technology development entrepreneurship on economic growth in emerging markets.


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