The impact of short-form video cues on interference and response inhibition: an experimental study

Watching short-form videos has become a popular form of entertainment for internet users, especially among university students. Students who habitually watch short-form videos may be more sensitive to short-form video-related stimuli, and may be more likely to be distracted when faced with tasks, leading to insufficient inhibitory control. The main aims of the present study were to (i) investigate the effect of short-form video cues on university students’ interference inhibition as well as response inhibition, and (ii) explore the association between university students’ inhibitory control and self-reported problematic short-form video use. Participants from two independent samples (N1 = 62, N2 = 77) completed two separate experimental studies (i.e. an adapted Stroop task and a cued Go/No-Go task respectively), and were then administered the Short-form Video Addiction Questionnaire. The results showed that short-form video cues significantly prolonged reaction times in the Stroop task, which measures interference inhibition. In the Go/No-Go task assessing response inhibition, participants responded significantly faster to short-form video icons than to neutral icons, and exhibited a markedly reduced accuracy when required to inhibit their responses to them. Self-reported problematic short-form video use was not associated with interference inhibition or response inhibition.