Abstract Media multitasking has been investigated for its links to executive functions (EFs). Research in the area has produced mixed outcomes which may in part be due to an extreme groups approach to data analysis. This study avoided this issue by using media multitasking as a continuous variable to examine its relationship with the EFs of working memory (WM) and inhibition. Participants completed tasks assessing WM (Digit Ordering Task), inhibition (Spatial Stroop Task) and a task employing both WM and inhibition (Go/No-Go task with low and high task loads). After controlling for the effect of age, IQ and attentional impulsivity, there was a marginally significant association between higher levels of media multitasking and greater WM capacity scores. Participants with higher media multitasking scores also had more efficient go trial performance (Go/No-Go task) which suggested superior processing speed. There was a trend towards significance for higher levels of media multitasking to be associated with poorer performance on the outcome measures of the inhibition tasks (lower accuracy in the Spatial Stroop task incongruent condition, and the Go/No-Go task; go trials low load congruent distractor condition and no-go trials high cognitive load incongruent distractor condition). The different pattern of performance outcomes for the WM and inhibition tasks further illustrates the complexity of understanding the relationship between media multitasking and EFs.

中文翻译：

---

检查媒体多任务处理与工作记忆和抑制任务的表现之间的关联

摘要 媒体多任务处理因其与执行功能 (EF) 的联系而受到研究。该领域的研究产生了好坏参半的结果，部分原因可能是极端群体的数据分析方法。本研究通过使用媒体多任务处理作为连续变量来检查其与工作记忆 (WM) 和抑制的 EF 的关系，从而避免了这个问题。参与者完成了评估 WM（数字排序任务）、抑制（空间 Stroop 任务）的任务以及同时使用 WM 和抑制的任务（具有低和高任务负载的 Go/No-Go 任务）。在控制了年龄、智商和注意力冲动的影响后，更高水平的媒体多任务处理和更高的 WM 能力得分之间存在轻微的显着关联。媒体多任务处理得分较高的参与者也有更高效的试行表现（Go/No-Go 任务），这表明处理速度更高。有一种趋势，即更高水平的媒体多任务处理与抑制任务结果测量的较差表现相关（空间 Stroop 任务不一致条件下的准确性较低，以及 Go/No-Go 任务；Go 试验低负载一致干扰条件和禁止试验高认知负荷不一致干扰条件）。WM 和抑制任务的不同表现结果模式进一步说明了理解媒体多任务和 EF 之间关系的复杂性。有一种趋势，即更高水平的媒体多任务处理与抑制任务结果测量的较差表现相关（空间 Stroop 任务不一致条件下的准确性较低，以及 Go/No-Go 任务；Go 试验低负载一致干扰条件和禁止试验高认知负荷不一致干扰条件）。WM 和抑制任务的不同表现结果模式进一步说明了理解媒体多任务和 EF 之间关系的复杂性。有一种趋势，即更高水平的媒体多任务处理与抑制任务结果测量的较差表现相关（空间 Stroop 任务不一致条件下的准确性较低，以及 Go/No-Go 任务；Go 试验低负载一致干扰条件和禁止试验高认知负荷不一致干扰条件）。WM 和抑制任务的不同表现结果模式进一步说明了理解媒体多任务和 EF 之间关系的复杂性。