Chapter 7 – Attention and Distraction Online

Chapter Summary

Many students now study in a multitasking environment, where the goal of study is one option amongst many: listening to music, responding to texts, watching videos, and talking online. This chapter examines the prevalence and effects of such media multitasking with regard to the influence on attention, learning, and emotional states. The psychology of attention, multitasking, and self-control are brought to bear on the issue. Finally, some strategies for effectively managing technological distractions while learning are introduced.

Studying in a Multitasking Environment

• Students who more consciously applied study strategies while studying at home (such as self-testing to check their learning) were more likely to remain focused on-task than those who did not.
• Using technology during class time has been found to have a negative impact on test performance, reading comprehension, note-taking, efficiency, and self-regulation among university students. These negative effects on learning can also extend to the habits of classmates.
• Many university students engage in media multitasking out of habit and boredom, but also in the belief that they could obtain more knowledge and achieve as much as possible within a short time frame.

High Multitaskers versus Light Multitaskers

• Academic attention problems are associated with high levels of media multitasking.
• High-media multitaskers perform worse than light-media multitaskers on tests of working memory capacity and logical reasoning.
• Light media multitaskers perform better than high media multitaskers when it comes to task-switching.
• High-media multitaskers perform worse on several measures of handling information – in essence, they are worse at multitasking.
• Light-media multitaskers are often better at ignoring irrelevant information, show higher working memory capacity, and a better ability to switch focus.
• Multitasking may also influence the depth of learning.

Attention

• Attention is ‘the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought’ (James 1890, 403–404).
• Attention capacity has limits and we are regularly torn between a multitude of stimuli that require us to switch our attention from one item to another.
• People may feel they are taking in everything but large changes can happen without being noticed.
• Attention consists of distinct but overlapping systems — alerting, orienting, and executive control.
• Researchers have put forward the idea that attention is trainable.
• Fan et al. (2002) developed the Attention Network Test (ANT), a computer-based measure of efficiency in each of these three networks (alerting, orienting, and executive control).

Training Attention

• Research suggests that it is possible to train attention skills even at a young age.
• For example, Posner et al. (2013) found that after seven half-hour sessions of training in attention skills, six-year-olds showed brain wave activity patterns similar to that of adults and had significant, and increases in executive attention.
• Mindfulness training appears to encourage significant improvements in terms of orienting and alerting attention.
• Meditation also appears to improve participants’ performance in relation to executive control.

Strategies for Improving Focus and Handling Distraction

• There are several research-based approaches that people can employ to stay focused when faced with tempting options close at hand.
• ‘Gamification’ of academic work can present a fun and engaging way to encourage students to engage in ‘productive’ as opposed to ‘unproductive’ multitasking.
• Technology breaks are designed to address the ‘separation anxiety’ that may be felt by someone used to routinely check their smartphone or computer throughout the day.
• A large number of programs have been developed that allow a person to block the Internet (or specific websites or apps) for set periods of time and to track time spent on apps.
• Listening to familiar music while studying is one option that may have a positive impact on learning for some individuals.
• There are significant positive cognitive effects of interacting with nature, especially in relation to attention.
• Research has highlighted how the importance of taking breaks from online screen-based interaction may be more important than previously realised.