A new psychological study has revealed that people are 26 percent more productive at work when they are further away from their smartphones. 

The study was commissioned by security software firm Kaspersky Lab and was conducted by researchers at the Universities of Würzburg and Nottingham Trent.

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The conclusion was a result of an experiment carried out in laboratories at the universities involving 95 people between the ages of 19 and 56. During the experiment, the participants were asked to concentrate on their work under different situations.

The results show that the participants became "less efficient at work" when their smartphones were with them at their desks. However, the further away the participants were from their smartphones, the more concentration they had in their work.

Additionally, the researchers expected that the participants would become anxious after their smartphones were taken away from them, but the results showed no effect and the anxiety levels remained unchanged, according to Kaspersky Lab.

"Previous studies have shown that on the one hand, separation from one's smartphone has negative emotional effects, such as increased anxiety, but, on the other hand, studies have also demonstrated that one's smartphone may act as a distractor when present. In other words, both the absence and presence of a smartphone could impair concentration", said Jens Binder from the University of Nottingham Trent.

"In summary, our findings from this study indicate that it is the absence, rather than the presence, of a smartphone that improves concentration," added Astrid Carolus from the University of Würzburg.