title: The sound of a mobile phone ringing affects the complex reaction time of its owner.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile phone conversation decreases the ability to concentrate and impairs the attention necessary to perform complex activities, such as driving a car. Does the ringing sound of a mobile phone affect the driver's ability to perform complex sensory-motor activities? We compared a subject's reaction time while performing a test either with a mobile phone ringing or without.
  
  
  METHODS
  The examination was performed on a PC-based reaction time self-constructed system Reactor. The study group consisted of 42 healthy students. The protocol included instruction, control without phone and a proper session with subject's mobile phone ringing. The terms of the study were standardised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences (p < 0.001) in reaction time in control (597 ms), mobile (633 ms) and instruction session (673 ms). The differences in female subpopulation were also significant (p < 0.01). Women revealed the longest reaction time in instruction session (707 ms), were significantly quicker in mobile (657 ms, p < 0.01) and in control session (612 ms, p < 0.001). In men, the significant difference was recorded only between instruction (622 ms) and control session (573 ms, p < 0.01). The other differences were not significant (p > 0.08). Men proofed to complete significantly quicker than women in instruction (p < 0.01) and in mobile session (p < 0.05). Differences amongst the genders in control session was not significant (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained proofed the ringing of a phone exerts a significant influence on complex reaction time and quality of performed task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Medical Univeristy of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Radoslaw
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zajdel
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zajdel
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zwolińska
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smigielski
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beling
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cegliński
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowak