Open Access

Kyra Remele

• This paper aims to emphasize the significance of an effective break design in an occupational context, with a specific focus on the implementation of phone-free work breaks. Through an experimental investigation, the potential impact of a mobile phone lockbox, intended to facilitate phone abstention during breaks, was examined. It is proposed that external control, imposed by the use of a lockbox, negatively influences performance due to a reduced sense of perceived control. Considering this, the experimental design sought to identify differences between three groups exposed to varying levels of external control during a work break. These differences were quantified using a memory recall assignment, which measured the performance change of each participant after the break. The results indicate that principles extending theories of perceived control must be considered. Contrary to the theory of perceived control, the group subjected to the highest degree of external control via a mobile phone lockbox exhibited the greatest performance improvement. Despite refraining from phone usage, the group allowed to keep the phone on the table but instructed not to use it demonstrated lower performance improvement, even compared to the group that used the phone during the break. The results indicate that further research on self-control as a limited resource is required.