A Comparative Study on the Cognitive Functions and Psychological Factors Associated with Google Effect among College Students

Abstract

The usage of digital gadgets for academic purposes has increased significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Google Effect is also known as Digital Amnesia which can be stated as the tendency to forget what is being read on a digital gadget believing that they can refer to it whenever they are in need of it. College students were recruited through purposive sampling and screened based on checklist was developed for the study which was validated by experts in the field of psychiatry, neurology and clinical psychology. Cognitive functions were assessed using subtests of Weschler’s Memory Scale-lll. The DASS-21 was used to measure features of depression, anxiety and stress and EIS was also used to find the difference in emotional intelligence, t-test was used to analyze the significant difference between the two groups. Findings indicates that the students who had Google Effect had shown significant impairment in the cognitive tests of memory and learning compared to the group without Google Effect along with higher scores in depression, anxiety and stress and lower scores in emotional intelligence. This implies the need to bring awareness and interventions in limiting dependence on digital devices.