Inhibited head movements: A risk of combining phoning with other activities?
Oommen BS, Stahl JS · 2005
View Original AbstractSimply holding a phone to your ear restricts natural head movements needed for visual awareness, creating safety risks beyond conversation distraction.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied how simply holding a cell phone to your ear affects head movement, even when the phone isn't actively being used for conversation. They found that holding an inactive phone reduces the likelihood of moving your head to eccentric (off-center) positions, which could impair your ability to scan your visual surroundings. This suggests that handheld phones may create safety risks during activities like driving that go beyond the well-known distraction of conversation.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a subtle but potentially significant risk factor that's been largely overlooked in cell phone safety research. While most studies focus on cognitive distraction from conversation, this research shows that the mere physical act of holding a phone to your ear mechanically restricts natural head movement patterns. What this means for you is that handheld phone use may compromise your situational awareness in ways that hands-free devices wouldn't. The researchers specifically note this effect is 'peculiar to handheld models,' which supports the growing body of evidence suggesting hands-free options offer safety advantages beyond just freeing up your hands. This mechanical restriction of head movement could be particularly concerning during driving or other activities requiring visual monitoring of your environment.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
Studies of cellular phone use while driving have attributed impaired performance to the distractions of conversation. We determined that holding an inactive phone to the ear reduces the probability of eccentric head positions, potentially indicating reduced ability to monitor the visual surround.
This effect may constitute a risk of cellular phone use independent of conversation and peculiar to ...
Show BibTeX
@article{bs_2005_inhibited_head_movements_a_2488,
author = {Oommen BS and Stahl JS},
title = {Inhibited head movements: A risk of combining phoning with other activities?},
year = {2005},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16157912/},
}