Age and Distraction by Telephone Conversation in Task Performance: Implications for Use of Cellular Telephones While Driving

Predicted to diminish task performance were (a) distraction by telephone conversation and (b) older age. 38 participants pointed to letters on a randomized or alphabetized letter matrix during distraction by telephone conversation or no distraction. In a within-subjects design telephone conversation negatively affected completion time but there were no age differences. Implications for cellular telephone use while driving are discussed.