Automatic or Controlled Writing?: The Effect of a Dual Task on SMS Writing in Novice and Expert Adolescents

The objective of this study was to attempt to distinguish the various processes of producing SMS spelling forms. The production of these different spelling forms was compared by means of an experimental paradigm: the dual task. This paradigm aimed at identifying the attentional resources necessary for the process of producing SMS spelling. Another way in which to address the degree of automation of these production processes was to compare SMS productions in terms of the level of SMS writing expertise. The results of this study demonstrated that the spelling forms produced in SMS language (eSMS), and therefore their production process, differ according to the degree of SMS writing expertise and the attention that the participants are able to devote to the SMS writing task. The results confirm that SMS writing represents a cognitive cost for novice texters and tends to become automatic as the users acquire expertise.