Abstract of Talk: Maximising research opportunities for smartphones (and other wearable devices) in psychological science
There are now more mobile devices in the world than people, with smartphones quickly becoming the gadget of choice for many. Like the plethora of other digital technologies, smartphones are psychologically interesting in themselves with some arguing that they are by their very nature highly addictive. However, a smartphone can also provide key insights about the individual behind the screen – frequently referred to as digital traces. For example, basic information extracted from a smartphone or wearable device can predict both simple (e.g. age and gender) and complex (e.g. personality) individual differences. In this talk, I will consider our current understanding of how smartphones (and other mobile digital devices) can simultaneously help answer and generate new research questions for psychological science.