The effects of smartphone use during play on performance and enjoyment among recreational golfers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.359Keywords:
golf, smartphone, digital distraction, performance, enjoyment, cognitive switchingAbstract
Smartphone use during play has become a common feature of recreational golf, with 44% of golfers indicating that they use their smartphone every few holes during a round. It is not known, however, whether this form of behaviour has any impact on golfers’ performance or their enjoyment of the round. The present study is the first to address this question. Based on theories of cognitive switching and psychological detachment, we propose that frequent digital distraction resulting from smartphone use during play would negatively impact both performance and round enjoyment. Data were collected from 186 recreational golfers at five different courses directly after participation in mid-week club competitions. Our results indicate that smartphone use for work-related purposes negatively impacts performance, but that smartphone use for personal purposes has no impact. Additionally, we find no direct relationship between smartphone use and round enjoyment, but propose that it may indirectly impact enjoyment through its impact on performance.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Daniel le Roux, Lise Carsten, Cole Walburgh, Christen Werth (Author)
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