Distracted mind: the effects of multitasking and mind wandering on consumer memory for ad content

Abstract

People frequently do not pay full attention to advertising messages to which they are exposed. While external distraction such as active avoidance (e.g., multitasking while ads play) or background noise have been identified as causes, in many situations, consumers may also be distracted by an internal cause- mind wandering. While external distractions are thought to lead to worse ad outcomes, this research examines the potential benefits of multiple tasks (multitasking) in the context of mind wandering and how they affect memory for ad content. Through a series of three experiments, we show that even when no external alternative activity is occurring, memory for ad content may still be negatively impact by the increased presence of mind wandering. However, multitasking with a low-level perceptual task can actually increase memory about ads while decreasing mind wandering.

Keywords:

• Multitasking
• mind wandering
• attention
• distraction
• memory
• perceptual load
• secondary task

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors

Notes on contributors

Sydney Chinchanachokchai (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Akron. Her primary research interests are in the areas of multitasking, mind wandering, attention, cross-cultural consumer behavior, and advertising effectiveness.

Brittany R.L. Duff (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is Associate Professor of Advertising and affiliate faculty with Beckman Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on attention, perception, and media effects.

Ronald J. Faber (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) is Professor Emeritus of Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Advertising and a former editor of the Journal of Advertising. His research focuses on consumer psychology and media effects, with particular interests in broadening advertising theory, and understanding impulsive and compulsive behavior.