Cell Phone Use in Public Settings During Face-to-face Communication

Transcription

1 Christi Kapinos Kasey Moore Cell Phone Use in Public Settings During Face-to-face Communication Introduction The main focus area of interest for this study involves the appropriateness of cell phone use in public settings during face-to-face communication among individuals engaging in conversation. It is important to examine how cell phones impact communication behavior because they have become such a significant device in modern day society. Perceptions of appropriateness may vary between different age groups; therefore the focus participants include younger (18-29 years old) and older cell phone users (30+ years of age.) This study will help to better understand how people involved in face-to-face conversations interpret cell phone use in public settings based on communication rules generated by societal norms; this will depend on many factors including relationships and level of connection, type of setting, and demographics. Cell phone use Kang (2011) reported that the number of cell phone devices increased to million in the United States in An ordinary household of 2.6 people own about 24 electronic devices, with at least one being a Smartphone. Cell phones are used for many different purposes, including text messaging trillion text messages were sent in 2011, which was up 16 percent from the previous year (Kang, 2011). These statistics show how often people are on their cell phones throughout the day. Jones (2012) surveyed participants to determine what people most commonly use cell phones for other than making phone calls. The eight most frequent activities that cell phones are used for

2 besides phone calls are [in order of rank] taking photos, sending or receiving text messages, accessing the Internet, sending or receiving s, recording videos, downloading applications, looking for health and medical information online, and checking bank accounts or online banking. According to Smith (2011), those between 18 and 29 years old are more active mobile phone users. Young cell phone users are more likely to use their cell phone for entertainment purposes and as a way to avoid interaction with other people. Older cell phone users tend to rely on their phones more for emergency purposes and generally displayed lower percentages regarding their motives to be on a cell phone (Smith, 2011). According to a study mentioned by Chan (2012), Americans check their phone at least once an hour. Three out of four participants stated that they would feel anxious if they were to lose it (Chan, 2012). The findings from this study indicate that people are very dependant on their mobile devices. 84% of participants surveyed in a poll said that they couldn t go even one day without their cell phone at hand (Duerson, 2012). However Mosbergen (2012) claims that just having a cell phone nearby during face-to-face communication poses a threat to forming personal connections. Technology and humanity are both important, yet the challenge is finding a balance between the two and using one to enhance the other (Mosbergen, 2012). Therefore, it is necessary that the effects of cell phone use linked to appropriateness, relationships, and social settings are examined. This communication phenomenon is important to study because cell phones have a big influence on society and throughout different generations. There are various rules and associations that help to determine whether mobile phone use is considered appropriate or not. A survey discussed in a popular press article written by Quenqua (2013) found that the percentage of American s who are irritated by phone conversations in social settings dropped 8% between

3 2006 and Although cell phone usage in public is seen as an annoyance, it is starting to be accepted more as a cultural norm (Quenqua, 2013). The fact that it is depicted more as a norm relates to the focus on communication rules. The focus area of interest involves how people perceive and implement communication rules to determine appropriateness of cell phone use when interacting with others. It is also important to identify what it means to other people not involved in the immediate conversation (bystanders) when they observe cell phone use in public. The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate versus inappropriate cell phone usage in social settings during face-to-face communication. Young adult cell phone users age and older adult users 30 years or older will be surveyed in order to gain a better understanding of the communication phenomenon and research topic. The settings that will be analyzed are public environments including restaurants, small social settings (2-10 people), and large social settings (11 people and up). Theoretical Grounding Author Julia T. Wood (2012) distinguishes communication rules, which are used to determine whether communication behavior is appropriate or inappropriate. Two types of rules that guide communication behavior are regulative and constitutive rules (Wood, 2012). Regulative rules are used to specify when, how, where, and with whom to communicate about specific topics (Wood, 2012). An example of a regulative rule is that Kasey and Christi s families do not allow their kids or other guests to be on their cell phones at the dinner table. Their parents generations have traditionally not relied on external factors (television, cell phones, etc.) as means of entertainment or communication during time that is supposed to be devoted to interacting with the family. Since their parents have set this guideline growing up, they now correlate this regulative rule with our own relationships and view it as disrespectful to

4 be on a cell phone at the dinner table. The reason this example serves as a regulative rule is because it deals with the when, how, where and with whom principles associated with cell phone use and families. The when factor is at dinnertime, how is cell phone versus face-toface communication, where is at the dinner table, and with whom involves family as opposed to people outside of the family. Constitutive rules are based on how people understand meaning from certain types of communication such as symbols and factors that represent something that people know and acquire in society (Wood, 2012). An example of a constitutive rule is how people associate eye contact with the level of attentiveness during interaction. If someone is not making eye contact during face-to-face communication because they are on their cell phone, it may be interpreted as not paying attention. These types of rules are beneficial in determining the appropriateness of cell phone usage in public and whether or not people associate different behavior as breaking or reaffirming specific rules. Regulative and constitutive rules relate directly to the focus of this study because they deal with appropriateness associated with cell phone use and may contribute to differences between age groups of society. Relationships, rules, and public cell phone use It is important to research different aspects related to cell phone use including level of connection, relationship rules, age differences, and cell phone use in various settings. All of these factors play a role in determining whether or not people perceive cell phone use as appropriate or inappropriate. This section will examine four significant related areas of research that support this issue: level of connection, relationships and rules, cell phone use as a distraction in public, and settings commonly perceived as inappropriate.

5 Level of connection Researchers have studied the level of connection between romantic relationships and families based on cell phone use. These scholars argue that cell phone use satisfaction is directly related to overall relationship satisfaction within romantic relationships (Duran, Kelly, & Rotaru, 2011). The researchers also found that families stay connected through cell phones and technologies and may provide a better connection if used properly (Padilla-Walker, Coyne, & Fraser, 2012; Devitt & Roker, 2009). Duran, Kelly, and Rotaru (2011) conducted a survey that examined autonomy (independence) and connectedness (dependant on others) within romantic relationships. The researchers gathered that partners tend to be less satisfied with mobile phone use in their relationships when they are also less satisfied with other aspects of the relationship, including time spent together and extent of freedom (Duran et al., 2011). Researchers concluded that partners tend to feel a lack of connection within their relationship when the other is less available for contact through their cell phone (Duran et al., 2011). Unlike researchers Duran, Kelly, and Rotaru, Padilla-Walker, Coyne, and Fraser (2012) conducted a study that observed the relationship between family connectedness and their media usage. The researchers found that greater quantities of cell phone use and viewing/playing with other technologies (aside from social networking sites) were related to higher levels of family connection (Padilla-Walker et al., 2012). Devitt and Roker (2009) performed a study on how cell phones are used within family dynamics and the advantages and disadvantages involved. The researchers found that young adults and parents see cell phones as a way to keep connected and stay in touch, primarily for making and changing plans, as well as confirming arrangements (Devitt & Roker, 2009). It also plays a role in protecting young members within families to

6 ensure safety. Conversely, some people feel that cell phones within family systems give a fictitious sense of security by having the cell phone constantly at hand (Devitt & Roker, 2009). Research related to level of connection and cell phone use varies between the types of relationship. Romantic relationships tend to rely less on cell phone use to form a connection, unless for availability purposes. Family relationships find cell phones to be a vital part of maintaining a strong relationship. They serve as a platform for keeping connected and also provide a sense of security if users are not naive to their surroundings. Relationships and rules Researchers found that cell phone use is a major priority in maintaining satisfaction within romantic relationships. Some rules were found to be beneficial, but overall most romantic partners found it more acceptable to not have set cell phone rules (Duran et al. 2011; Miller-Ott, Kelly, & Duran, 2012). Duran et al. (2011) found that cell phone usage within romantic relationships serves as a trigger for causing problems and gives partners the authority to set rules. If general problems are avoided and rules are appropriate, proper cell phone use can be a key principle in maintaining a satisfactory level of connection (Duran et al., 2011). Similarly, Miller-Ott, Kelly, and Duran (2012) conducted a study that examined the significance of cell phones in intimate relationships and whether or not having rules contributed to the amount of cell phone use and relationship satisfaction. Participants were asked to take a survey if they were currently in a romantic relationship. The results revealed that partners in romantic relationships often believe that some set cell phone rules are appropriate such as being available most of the time (Miller-Ott et al., 2012). However, there were many instances where rules were seen as inappropriate such as monitoring calling or text messaging to/from other

7 people while with one another. Overall, the participants led the researchers to conclude that there is more relationship satisfaction if there are not set cell phone rules and restrictions (Miller-Ott et al., 2012). When referring to romantic relationships and rules, studies show that cell phone restrictions do not result in positive outcomes unless they are considered appropriate and necessary to ensure the satisfaction of the relationship. Cell phone use as a distraction in public Communication scholars found that people can more easily identify what is being said and are more distracted by one-sided conversations (on cell phones) as opposed to two-sided face-to-face conversations (Galván, Vessal, & Golley, 2013). Between individualistic and collectivistic people, individualistic are less likely to view cell phone use in public as appropriate. Researchers argue that although individuals may not directly be associated with a conversation, they still may be distracted by what is going on (Campbell, 2008). This study focuses on unfamiliar relationships such as interaction with bystanders since it is a form of interpersonal communication. According to a study about unfamiliar relationships by Galván, Vessal, and Golley (2013) on the effects of overhearing one-sided cell phone conversations, participants are more distracted by one-sided conversations than two-sided faceto-face conversations and also have the ability to better recognize what is actually being said (Galván, et al., 2013). This implies that bystanders and people that aren t familiar may still be distracted by cell phone use in public settings. Similar to Galván, Vessal, and Golley s study on cell phone distraction in public, a study by Campbell (2008) suggests that people who are more individualistic (independent from a group) are highly intolerant of mobile phone use in settings that require a certain amount of

8 attention. However, participants who are considered collectivistic (inclusion of an individual to a group) show to be less distracted by cell phone calls in public, mostly because surrounding individuals may be unfamiliar (Campbell, 2008). Bystanders may not have an immediate relation to people having face-to-face conversations, but they still overhear and analyze what is said. Individualistic people are more intolerant of cell phone use in public and people seen as collectivistic are more accepting of this frequent cell phone use. Settings commonly perceived as inappropriate Researchers found that employees consider different circumstances and settings to be appropriate for cell phone use based on different ages (Washington, Okoro, & Cardon, 2013; Boucher, Hancock, & Dunham, 2008). Scholars established that students in classrooms use their cell phones during classtime even when they realize it may not be appropriate (Tindell & Bohlander, 2012). According to Washington, Okoro, and Cardon (2013) the majority of younger employees (ages 21 to 30 years old) believe that text messaging, s, and phone calls are considered appropriate during informal gatherings. The majority of older employees above 41 years old see this behavior as inappropriate (Washington et al., 2013). The results show that overall most professional workers think that cell phone use is inappropriate during meetings. Informal meetings displayed a wider divide between appropriateness, where younger professionals found it more acceptable than those older professionals. Younger professionals even found it acceptable to be on a cell phone in some circumstances of formal meetings (Washington et al., 2013).

9 Business and professional settings are traditionally acknowledged as inappropriate for cell phone use. Like Washington, Okoro, and Cardon s study of cell phone use in the workplace, a quantitative study conducted by Boucher, Hancock, and Dunham (2008) explores the different interpersonal and professional relationships developed through technological based communication and face-to-face communication. Data regarding Communication mediated communication (CMC) implies that when social status cues are present, social roles are readily maintained and may even be intensified in some CMC settings (p. 255). A quantitative study conducted by Tindell and Bohlander (2012) focused on how often and in what context cell phones are used in college classrooms. According to the results, students frequently notice when others in class are on their cell phones. 92% of students admitted to having sent or received 1-2 text messages during class. 30% of students said that they send or receive text messages every day while in the classroom (Tindell & Bohlander, 2012). In conclusion, the classroom and business workplace are two social settings where cell phone use is commonly viewed as inappropriate. Recent studies show that it is generally becoming more accepted by younger individuals to be on a cell phone in these traditionally inappropriate environments. These studies reiterate the importance of the intended target audience because there is clearly a generational gap between different age groups. It is important to gather information and data that reveals both young adults and older adults perceptions of cell phone use in public settings and when it is deemed appropriate or inappropriate. Relationships, rules, level of connection, and settings all play a key role in determining appropriateness of cell phone use. There is a lot of research left to discover specifically regarding the appropriateness of cell phone use in certain

10 public settings. The analysis of communication rules will provide necessary information about which settings people find to be appropriate or not. Methodology The plan for this study is to use a quantitative method. Taking a quantitative approach will provide the best results and data to analyze and further research. A quantitative study is best fit for the focus because it deals with frequency, perceptions, and effectiveness of communication in particular settings and situations. The main interest is to obtain information regarding younger and older individuals perceptions of cell phone use in certain public settings. This approach will help do this by getting information from participants through surveys. For the survey, both basic and specific questions will be asked to gather enough details about the target audience, in order to provide the greatest sense of credibility about the topic. This study will examine cell phone use during face-to-face communication in public settings. The data of research is based on many factors including age, relationships and level of familiarity between communicators, the environment that the communication takes place, and the rules that determine appropriateness of the situation. Age and various demographics will be analyzed to further assist in research and the study s hypotheses. None of the studies found reported on cell phone use and their acceptability associated with public settings (restaurants, small and large gatherings) or the age difference between perceived appropriateness. This specified prospectus has important research that still needs to be explored. Therefore, the research hypotheses are: H1: Younger cell phone users (18-29 years) will perceive cell phone use in public settings during face-to-face communication as more appropriate than older cell phone users (30+ years.)

11 This hypothesis was formulated because it will provide results regarding the main focus of age groups and public settings. It will help reveal more information about cell phone use according to younger and older adults, since there has not been much research conducted on the topic. H2: Small social settings (2-10 people) will be perceived as less appropriate for cell phone use during face-to-face communication than large social settings (11 and up.) This hypothesis was formed because it focuses strictly on the specific types of settings that are of interest for this study. Appropriateness, size, and formality of specific public environments are also factors of interest for this study. H3: Older cell phone users will use communication rules to determine the appropriateness of cell phone use in public settings differently than younger cell phone users. This hypothesis was developed to integrate the theory and communication phenomenon into our study. It will help to determine what rules people associate with appropriateness and cell phone use according to the two specified age groups. Participants Younger (18-29) and older (30+) cell phone users will be surveyed to gain information related to age groups. According to Smith (2011), those between 18 and 29 are more active mobile phone users. Young cell phone users are more likely to use their cell phone for entertainment purposes and as a way to avoid interaction with other people. Older cell phone users tend to rely on their phones more for emergency purposes and generally displayed lower percentages regarding their motives to be on a cell phone (Smith, 2011). Smith s research serves

12 as the justification for selecting younger and older cell phone users for this study. Participants must be cell phone owners and at least 18 years old in order to be considered for this survey. Procedure A quantitative survey will be used to gather data on the study. A survey is a tool used to gather information that cannot be observed personally. The survey will be distributed to individuals that own a cell phone and are at least 18 years of age. The plan is to conduct the survey through an online survey generator (SurveyMonkey) rather than in person or by paper. It will be distributed to Longwood University students and faculty, and it will be encouraged for everyone to participate and send it further to people they know that meet the requirements. The survey questions will focus on cell phone use in small and large public settings such as restaurants, one-on-one interaction, parties, and small gatherings. It will also focus on the level of closeness and relationship between the persons interacting including family members, significant other, friend, or stranger. Data will also be collected based on basic cell phone questions such as frequency of cell phone use and activity on cell phones. H1: Younger cell phone users (18-29 years) will perceive cell phone use in public settings during face-to-face communication as more appropriate than older cell phone users (30+ years.) The outcome has been predicted with a directional hypothesis. Non-directional was very broad for the focus area and this will help narrow the results to be more specific. The independent variables in this hypothesis are younger and older cell phone users. The dependent variable is the participants perception of cell phone use in public during face-to-face communication. First, the age of the participants will be determined through the survey and then the same questions will be asked for both younger and older cell phone users to operationalize and obtain the most accurate data regarding specific age differences.

13 T-tests will be used as the quantitative method for this study. T-tests analyze two groups of the same independent variable on the dependent variable, so this is particularly applicable to the study (N. Johnson, personal communication, November 13, 2013). The variables that will be tested are two different age groups and the perception of cell phone use in public settings. These variables were chosen because they are the most specific geared toward the purpose. These research procedures will help to find data that will fill the research gap because it is directly focusing on age groups and their perception of cell phone use in public settings. Questions will not be based specifically on the participants age, but general questions will be asked to obtain information about their ideas of appropriateness to come to a consensus about the age differences. IV. Conclusion This research is necessary because there have not been any previous studies regarding cell phone use in public settings in relation to age groups. Cell phones have become an integral part of society and they influence communication behavior and how people converse with one another. The main goal is to collect data regarding generational age differences and how people perceive cell phone use during normal conversation in various settings. The plan to help reach the ultimate goal is to create and conduct a well thought out survey. The hope is to provide a well-rounded analysis and study that will help close the research gap related to appropriateness of cell phone use in public during face-to-face communication, primarily based on younger and older cell phone users.

14 References Boucher, E.M., Hancock, J.T., & Dunham, P.J. (2008). Interpersonal sensitivity in computer-mediated and face-to-face conversations. Media Psychology, 11(2), doi: / Campbell, S. (2008). Perceptions of mobile phone use in public: The roles of individualism, collectivism, and focus of the setting. Communication Reports, 21(2), doi: / Chan, A. L. (2012, November 29). Cell phone addiction driven by impulsivity, materialism: Study. Huffington Post. Retrieved from Devitt, K., & Roker, D. (2009). The role of mobile phones in family communication. Children & Society, 23(3), doi: /j x Duerson, M. H. (2012, August 16). We re addicted to our phones: 84% worldwide say they couldn t go a single day without their mobile device in their hand. Daily News. Retrieved from Duran, R. L., Kelly, L., &Rotaru, T. (2011). Mobile phones in romantic relationships and the dialectic of autonomy versus connection. Communication Quarterly, 59(1) doi: / Galván, V.V., Vessal, R.S., & Golley, M.T. (2013). The effects of cell phone conversations on the attention and memory of bystanders. Plos ONE, 8(3), doi: /journal.pone

15 Jin, B., & Park, N. (2010). In-person contact begets calling and texting: Interpersonal motives for cell phone use, face-to-face interaction, and loneliness. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 13(6), doi: /cyber Jones, C. (2012, November 29). What do people use their cell phones for beside phone calls?. Forbes, Retrieved from Kang, C. (2011, October 11). Number of cellphones exceeds u.s. population: Ctia trade group. Washington Post. Retrieved from Miller-Ott, A.E., Kelly, L., & Duran, R. L. (2012). The effects of cell phone usage rules on satisfaction in romantic relationships. Communication Quarterly, 60(1), doi: / Mosbergen, D. (2012, September 5). Cell phones may hurt interpersonal relationships just by being in the room, study says. Huffington Post. Retrieved from Quenqua, D. (2013, March 13). Cellphones as a modern irritant. The New York Times. Retrieved from Padilla-Walker, L., Coyne, S., & Fraser, A. (2012). Getting a high-speed family connection: Associations between family media use and family connection. Family Relations, 61(3),

16 Smith, A. (2011, August 15). How americans use their cell phones. Retrieved from Tindell, D.R., & Bohlander, R. W. (2012). The use and abuse of cell phones and text messaging in the classroom: A survey of college students. College Teaching, 60(1), 1-9. Doi: / Washington M. C., Okoro E. A., & Cardon, P. W. (2013). Perceptions of civility for mobile phone use in formal and informal meetings. Business Communication Quarterly, 20(10) doi: / Wood, J. (2010). Interpersonal communication. (6 th ed., p. 101). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Appendix A: Research Instruments- Preliminary Survey Questions How do you interpret others making phone calls in small settings (2-10 people) such as restaurants, small gatherings, and dates, when communicating face-to-face with other people? o Very appropriate, Somewhat appropriate, Appropriate, Inappropriate, Somewhat inappropriate, Very inappropriate This question will help to measure appropriateness of cell phone use related to specific smaller public settings. The Likert scale style question will give us a general consensus of whether or not cell phone users find these environments appropriate for cell phone use.

17 How do you perceive a close friend when they are on their cell phone in each listed public setting? (Rank according to scale 1 st most appropriate setting, 4 th least appropriate setting) Restaurant Party setting (more than 10 people) Small gathering (up to 10 people) One-on-one conversation This question will help us to operationalize a change in the dependent variable to see if there is a correlation between participants and their understanding of cell phone use in small settings, depending on the connection with the individual.