From distraction to dedication: Commitment and incentives against phone use in the classroom

Billur Aksoy, Lester Lusher and Scott Carrell

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2025, vol. 236, issue C

Abstract: Phone usage in the classroom has been linked to worsened academic outcomes. We present findings from a field experiment conducted at a large public university in partnership with an app marketed as a soft commitment device that provides incentives to reduce phone use in the classroom. We find that app usage led to improvements in classroom focus, attendance, and overall academic satisfaction. Analysis of time spent outside the classroom suggests a potential substitution effect: students using the app allocated less time to study, particularly on campus. Overall, though statistically insignificant, we find improvements in transcript grades associated with app usage.

Keywords: Self-commitment device; Self-control problem; Smartphones; Student performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D12 D91 I23 L86 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Working Paper: From Distraction to Dedication: Commitment and Incentives Against Phone Use in the Classroom (2025)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:236:y:2025:i:c:s016726812500201x

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107082

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