The Effect of Media Multitasking on Online Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior

Digital devices and portable media platforms have become integral parts of people's lives, causing an increase in online activities and an inclination for simultaneous consumption of different media (known as media multitasking, a.k.a MMT). Extant research suggested that MMT causes cognitive strain and emotions and influences an individual’s information processing abilities, likely influencing one’s online social behavior (OSB) (pro and antisocial). Project MULTIPLE examines how multiple dimensions (task hierarchy, emotional content of the task, and time pressure) of MMT activities may influence emerging adults' engagement in OSB. It aims to determine how changes in task hierarchy and the emotional content of the tasks affect individuals’ engagement in OSB. Whether the inclusion of time pressure in the interaction of task hierarchy and the emotional content influences individuals’ engagement in OSB. Other goals are to identify the underlying mechanisms (i.e., mediators, e.g., frustration, cognitive load) and moderators (e.g., tendency to express online, impulsivity) to understand the said relationship. The methodology integrates eye movement tracking, controlled computer-based laboratory experiments, and questionnaires. The IRTIS Dept. at the MU leads in the media and cyber-related studies and will help the researcher with the team’s state-of-the-art infrastructure. The project will create a cross-discipline theoretical framework (information and communication, cognition and media) and help generate guidelines for improving the work environment in organizations where MMT is prevalent.