1. Danielle M. Geerling, Elissa A. Lauber & Carol Sansone
Individual differences moderate the effect of social multitasking behavior on course performance
Danielle M. Geerling, Elissa A. Lauber & Carol Sansone
University of Utah
B = , p = .53
Introduction
Method
In online courses there are many opportunities for students to multitask.
Women and those high in extraversion have been found to endorse interpersonal goals whereas men and those low in extraversion are more likely to adopt achievement goals (Sansone & Morgan, 1992).
Predictions
We expected women and extraverts to engage in a greater proportion of social multitasking behaviors (of all 10 possible multitasking behaviors) than men and those low in extraversion.
We hypothesized that social multitasking behaviors would be more detrimental to course performance for women and extraverts than for men and those low in extraversion.
Data Analyses
We regressed social multitasking behaviors on gender and extraversion.
We also regressed final course grades on gender and extraversion, social multitasking, and gender and extraversion by social multitasking interaction terms.
Social Multitasking Behaviors
Non-Social Multitasking Behaviors
Contacting others for help
Eating/drinking
ing
Listening to music
Social networking
Searching Web for class-related info
Talking to others
Searching Web for NON class-related info
Texting
Watching TV
B = , p = .012
B = , p = .06
B = , p = .0406
Method
Results
B = , p = .0096
Participants
Undergraduates in an online, introductory computer science course
N = 60
71.7% male, 71.7% Caucasian, mean age of (SD = 6.09), mean GPA of 3.11 (SD = .57)
Procedures and Measures
Students completed the TIPI (Gosling, Rentfrow, & Swann, 2003).
Next, students completed their coursework while taking periodic self-report surveys.  
Surveys appeared after students had completed specific course exercises.
In contrast to expectations, sex and extraversion were not associated with the proportion of social multitasking behaviors reported.
However, significant interactions did emerge between sex and social multitasking (B = , p = .016) and extraversion and social multitasking (B = , p = .015) on final grade.
Conclusions
Students, regardless of gender or extraversion, engaged in the same proportion of social multitasking behaviors.
For women and those high in extraversion, social multitasking behaviors negatively affected course grade.
Women and those high in extraversion may be more affected by social multitasking because they value their interpersonal goals more than achievement goals in an online learning context.
Presented at the Annual Convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in San Diego, January 2016