THE EFFECTS
OF CELL
PHONES ON
REACTION
TIME
By: Heather Hess
P. 3
Problem

Does talking and texting on cell phones
effect your reaction time?
Research


When you are multitasking, you can not
concentrate fully on both of the tasks.
Talking and texting is distracting, that is why
you should not drive while doing them.
“Multitasking reduces your efficiency and
performance because your brain can only
focus on one thing at a time. When you try to
do two things at once, your brain lacks the
capacity to perform both tasks successfully.”
- Travis Bradberry
Hypothesis

If I drop a meter stick and ask people to
catch it, then their centimeters will
lengthen, because they are trying to talk
or text on the phone.
Materials Needed






Meter stick
At least 5 people
Cell phone
Blindfold
Notebook
Pencil
Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Gather Materials
Blindfold the subject. (They should be standing through the
whole thing.)
Place your thumb and index finger on the 100 centimeter
mark on the meter stick.
Place the subjects thumb on the 0 centimeter mark on the
meter stick.
Let go of the meter stick. The subject will attempt to
catch it, by closing their fingers.
Record where their fingers landed on the meter stick.
(Record in centimeters.)
Repeat steps 1-5, but have the subject talk to someone on
the phone while doing this.
Repeat steps 1-5, but have the subject text a sentence on
the phone while doing this.
Variables




Constants- Blindfold, talking and texting
on the phone, length of the meter stick
Control- The first catch. (Without talking
or texting on the phone.)
Independent-Talking or texting
Dependent- Length (Centimeters)
CentImeters
Observations
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Normal
Texting
Talking
Conclusion


My hypothesis was supported, because
when I dropped the meter stick and asked
the people to catch it, their centimeters
lengthened, because they were trying to
talk or text on the phone.
And to answer my question, yes, talking
and texting on cell phones effects your
reaction time.