Multiscreening

Other projects: synced advertising | corporate surveillance

Project description | Key findings | Studying multitasking |Key publications | Awards

Multiscreening and advertising effectiveness

In this project, we examined how the use of multiple screens simultaneously (e.g., TV + smartphone or laptop) could affect information processing and advertising effectiveness. We started with a literature review in which we conceptualized multiscreening [published as a book chapter]. After that we did a secondary data analysis on diary data of a representative sample of the Dutch population in which the participants (n = 2,399) filled out a media diary for seven consecutive days. The majority of the studies conducted for this project, however, consist of experiments in which we examine the effect of using multiple screens at the same time on advertising outcomes, such as (brand) memory and attitudes.

*A bibliometric study published in 2021 identified me as the no. 1 contributing author to the media multitasking literature.

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Key findings

Overall, we find that multiscreening is ingrained into people’s daily lives and it impacts the way people process media content. Moreover, it shows that media messages never stand alone; the way a message is processed can be influenced by the use of additional screens and even media content that is shown on these additional screens (e.g., whether tasks are related or not). Finally, we find that multiscreening is not only detrimental to information processing and advertising effectiveness, but there are some things media content developers can do to facilitate this process. For example, (visual) attention is an important factor in processing media messages while multiscreening.

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Studying Media Multitasking

Want to conduct a media multitasking/multiscreening study yourself (or your student) or reviewing a media multitasking manuscript for a journal or conference paper?
Read the following article first:

Segijn, C. M., Xiong, S., & Duff, B. R. L. (2018). Manipulating and Measuring Media Multitasking: Implications of Previous Research and Guidelines for Future Research. Communication Methods and Measures. doi: 10.1080/19312458.2018.1555797.

For inspiration and a future research agenda read:

Duff, B. R. L & Segijn, C. M. (2019). Advertising in a media multitasking era: Considerations and future directions. Journal of Advertising, 48 (1), pp. 27-37. doi: 10.1080/00913367.2019.1585306

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Key publications

Segijn, C. M. & Eisend, M. (2019). A meta-analysis into multiscreening and advertising effectiveness: Direct effects, moderators, and underlying mechanisms. Journal of Advertising. doi: 10.1080/00913367.2019.1604009

Segijn, C. M., Voorveld, H. A. M., & Smit, E. G. (2017). How related multiscreening could positively affect advertising outcomes. Journal of Advertising, 46(4), 455-472. doi: 10.1080/00913367.2017.1372233

Segijn, C. M., Voorveld, H. A. M., Vandeberg, L., & Smit, E. G. (2017). The battle of the screens: Unraveling attention allocation and memory effects when multiscreening. Human Communication Research, 43(2), 295-314. doi: 10.1111/hcre.12106

Segijn, C. M., Voorveld, H. A. M., & Smit, E. G. (2016). The underlying mechanisms of multiscreening effects. Journal of Advertising, 45(4), 391-402. doi: 10.1080/00913367.2016.1172386

For an overview article in Dutch click here.

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Awards & Nominations

Click here for a list of all honors & awards

Awards

  • John E. Hunter Meta-Analysis Award, Information Systems, International Communication Association
  • Biennial Best Dissertation Award (2019), Mobile Communication Interest Group, ICA
  • Annie Lang Dissertation Award 2017 (2018), International Communication Association
  • ASCoR Baschwitz Article of the Year Award for Young Researchers (2018), Amsterdam School of Communication Research
  • ASCoR Baschwitz Article of the Year Award for Young Researchers (2017), Amsterdam School of Communication Research
  • Promising student paper award (2016), International Communication Association
  • Best student conference paper award (2016), American Academy of Advertising
  • Best student conference paper award (2015), American Academy of Advertising

Nominations

  • Runner-up Article of the Year 2019 (2020), Journal of Advertising
  • Article of the year 2017 (2018), Journal of Advertising
  • Top (top 5) paper (2017), European Advertising Academy
  • Top (top 5) student paper (2016), European Advertising Academy

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