A study conducted by researchers from Fairfield University found that individuals who use their phone while shopping are more likely to forget an item on their list or buy items they were not planning to buy.

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Whether texting, talking on the phone or listening to music, the study found any kind of phone use increases the chance that a shopper will purchase more. The researchers believe that a phone consumes shopper attention, even after the phone is put away. Shoppers who used their phone for only part of the time were also affected.

During the study, 231 participants simulated a shopping task. Participants were shown a first-person perspective video of someone going grocery shopping. The participants were given a shopping list and asked to compare the list to what the person in the video put in their cart, picked up or put down while shopping. The participants also self-assessed their mobile phone dependence.

The participants were broken down into three groups. Group one did not use their phone while completing the task, group two used their phone intermittently and group three used their phone during the entire task. Groups two and three were on a phone call during the task.

The results showed that people who are highly dependent on their phones are the most likely to deviate from the original shopping plan. Group three, who used their phones during the entire task, were the most influenced.

The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.