Many hear 'phantom ringing' from cellphone

Published: Sept. 14, 2007 at 1:40 PM
Order reprints
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Two-thirds of U.S. adults surveyed report hearing their phone ring or feeling it vibrate when it had not actually rung -- a phenomenon called "ringxiety."

The study, by David Laramie, a doctoral student who graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles, also found that the more frequently a person uses their phone, the more often they reported hearing a phantom ring.

Those who heard the phantom ringing -- 67 percent of the people surveyed -- had higher monthly charges, used more minutes, sent more text messages, and showed higher levels of impulsivity.

The study also shows that some people rely on their cellphone to regulate moods and maintain social connectedness and those people who prefer to use their phones for text messaging, rather than talking, showed higher levels of loneliness, social anxiety and problem phone use, explained Laramie.

Laramie presented his findings at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention in San Francisco.


© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Crude oil prices drop Friday morning (1 min)
UPI NewsTrack TopNews (13 min)
Expensive F-22 having maintenance woes (15 min)
GM emerges from bankruptcy, sells assets (15 min)
Armenia, Azerbaijan urged to end dispute (25 min)
Cousin: Jacko viewing was open casket (33 min)
Economic Outlook: Huffing about homes (41 min)
fark
British man faces prosecution for making up news headlines. Drew cancels London travel plans
Four-year-old girl hijacks forklift, drives into heating oil tank, causes spill. That's just the...
Mynd you, møsquitø bites Kan be pretty nasti
"Sometimes, you get what you expect. Generally, you meet better people at church than you do at...
They should have known that you can't just walk down the streets of Manhattan dressed as Superman...
The coolest origami city you will see until the artist burns it down. Wait, what?