So you are a proud owner of an iPhone – and regardless of the model, you still love it to bits. Just how many times do you look at your iPhone throughout the day, right from the moment you wake up to the time when you fall asleep? What would happen when you do not have your iPhone with you – are withdrawal symptoms very real? Apparently, the conclusion arrived by researchers over at the University of Missouri is “Yes.”
In a series of tests that were run by the school, researchers from the university claimed that iPhone users who were deprived of their handset could actually suffer “serious psychological and physiological effects,” where that includes poor scores where cognitive tests are concerned.
As part of the study on the effect of iPhone withdrawal, the researchers recruited 40 subjects to perform a couple of word search puzzles on their own. The first one was done while the iPhone was with the owner, and before the second puzzle was presented, a ruse was created by the researchers so that they can take the iPhone away from the participant. The same researchers then called the subject’s iPhone, allowing it to ring non-stop.
Blood pressure and heart rate readings were monitored in the first time, as well as in the second test, in addition to monitoring anxiety levels. Needless to say, the participants’ test scores decreased after the iPhone was removed, which led to the conclusion that iPhone users need to be with their handset during moments when focus is required, otherwise they would end up for the poorer in cognitive performance. Makes you wonder whether the same conclusion can be applied to any smartphone owner – and not just iPhones.