Abstract
Media multitasking is an ever-increasing phenomenon whereby different forms of media are used simultaneously. Numerous studies have shown that media multitasking is closely related to an individual’s cognitive control abilities. However, existing evidence remains controversial, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Therefore, to increase the understanding of whether and how frequent media multitasking is associated with cognitive control, a three-level meta-analysis, which included 43 studies and 118 effect sizes, was performed to acquire overall differences between heavy and light media multitaskers and to explore potential moderators that may account for the heterogeneity. The results showed a moderate mean negative association between media multitasking and cognitive control, and this association was moderated by the type of cognitive control. Specifically, heavy media multitaskers showed worse inhibitory control and working memory than light media multitaskers, but there was no significant difference in cognitive flexibility. Moreover, the effect was moderated by the measurement type of the dependent variable. The results of this study enhance our understanding of this issue and pave the way for a more nuanced view of altering experimental designs to investigate cognitive control in educational settings.