The effect of multitasking on time perception, enjoyment, and ad evaluation

• Performing multiple mediated tasks while commercials were playing made participants perceive time as passing more quickly.
• Media multitasking increased overall task enjoyment.
• Media multitasking increased ad evaluations.
• The influence of multitasking on ad evaluations was mediated by the perception of the passage of time.

Advances in media technology allow people to frequently engage in multiple mediated tasks simultaneously (multitasking). Media multitasking can also be a way to split attention away from uninteresting or low stimulation tasks. But how does multitasking affect evaluations of the tasks and task content? This study investigated how multitasking affects evaluations of commercials. Participants either only watched the ads or performed additional task(s) while the ads were playing. The results showed that performing additional on-screen tasks while commercials were playing led participants to perceive time as passing more quickly compared to when they just watched the commercials. Moreover, multi-window multitasking increased overall task enjoyment and increased ad evaluations, an effect that was mediated by the perception of how quickly time was passing while the ads were playing.