Continuous partial attention

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Linda Stone, a tech writer and consultant, coined the term continuous partial attention in 1998 to describe a modern adaptive behavior of continuously dividing one's attention. [1] Stone has clarified that continuous partial attention is not the same as multitasking. [2] [3] Where multitasking is driven by a conscious desire to be productive and efficient, CPA is an automatic process motivated only by "a desire to be a live node on the network" [4] or by the willingness to connect and stay connected, scanning and optimizing opportunities, activities and contacts in an effort to not miss anything that is going on.

Contents

Continuous partial attention may lead to increased stress and decreased ability to focus and concentrate on the present moment, prohibiting reflection, contemplation, and thoughtful decision making. [4] The constant connectedness that is associated with continuous partial attention may also affect relationships, lower productivity levels, [5] and lead to overstimulation and a lack of fulfillment.

Stone's research has focused on examples in the United States though she has posited that, "We may not all find ourselves in the same attention era at the same time. We are likely to find ourselves experiencing a flow: attraction to an ideal, taking the expression of the ideal to an extreme and experiencing unintended and less than pleasant consequences, giving birth to and launching a new ideal while integrating the best of what came before." [4]

Consequences of Continuous Partial Attention

Neuro-cognitive Impact

Rapidly switching between tasks impairs working memory capacity and results in poor performance on learning tasks. [6] Diminished working memory capacity causes inattentiveness and lead to learning difficulties. [7] Weaker cognitive flexibility and less creative thinking are observed in individuals engaging in continuous partial attention. This results in difficulties with refocusing point of viewe or changing perspectives in response to new information. [8] The chronic presence of this condition may hamper the neuroplasticity of the brain and potentially weaken cognitive function over time. [9]

Impact on Decision making

Continuous partial attention causes humans to continuously access information. When cognitive resources are depleted in processing the surplus of information from partaking in multiple tasks, humans tend to pick the safer options that are less optimal. Continuous partial attention makes people more risk-averse compared to focusing on a single task as the overload of information reduces our ability to critically evaluate our choices.The ambiguity from our poor assessment makes us resort to a safer choice. [10] In this manner, human objectivity is hampered during decision-making attributable to continuous partial attention.

Impact on Collaboration

Building rapport requires teamwork and communication. Reduced active listening can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations and barriers to communication. Studies showed that students reporting higher media multitasking scored significantly lower on a listening comprehension test. [11] The research found that team members engaging in higher levels of continuous partial attention reported lower levels of team effectiveness and satisfaction. In this way, it hinders the ability to build trust and work effectively in a team. [12] Continuous partial attention leads to a short temper and decreased patience in a team setting due to frustration and cognitive strain. [13]

Workplace Productivity

A negative correlation has been observed between continuous partial attention and workplace productivity. Disruption of deep cognitive processing due to fragmented attention leads to overlooking finer details, greater error rates, and longer completion times. [14]  Another consequence of continuous partial attention is the fear of missing out (FOMO), which generates a compulsive need to work beyond the expected working hours, leading to reduced personal recovery time and poor sleep.This leads to the formation of a cycle, as poor recovery and sleep deprivation exacerbates difficulties with focus. [15]

Impact on personal well-being

Bifurcation of focus in multiple information streams and tasks ultimately leads to employee stress and a poor work-life balance. An increasing need to be perpetually available in professional settings causes difficulty in distinguishing between professional and personal spheres. This leads to more frequent and intense burnout and affects mental and physical health [16] .The constant pressure to stay connected leads to stress. Individuals with increased interruptions of information or tasks had higher levels of cortisol. [17] Participants with high levels of continuous partial attention struggled to regulate negative emotions, resulting in feelings of frustration and overwhelm. A correlation is observed between high levels of anxiety and depression and continuous partial attention. [18]

Continuous partial attention leads to the formation of a vicious cycle. Actively and constantly trying to eliminate distractions and focus leads to cognitive fatigue and a reduced sense of control in work environments [14] .This lack of control results in stress, which triggers the release of cortisol. Effects of cortisol include irritability and difficulty sleeping, impacting overall well-being. [17] This hampers the ability to effectively regulate emotions, leading to negative consequences like social withdrawal and outbursts. [19] The feelings of dissatisfaction with people's performance at work, coupled with subpar productivity, perpetuate the cycle.

Strategies to mitigate the effect of continuous partial attention

A method to combat task switching and decrease productivity is Timeblocking. Dedicating specific time to tasks has proven to increase overall productivity and reduce task switching. The inclusion of the Pomodoro technique, or scheduling timed work in a distraction-free environment, encourages continual concentration on tasks. Digital detoxing significantly reduces stress and increases well-being by disconnecting from digital distractions and reducing the cognitive overload it causes. [20]

A study showed that the use of mindfulness apps and meditation leads to an increase in sustained attention, so the implementation of apps that offer guided meditation as well as notification blockers can be used to improve browsing habits, ultimately promoting focus. [21] Organisations can optimise user interface design to increase user focus, like blocking the use of specific tabs on social media platforms. [22] They can also keep designated distraction-free zones to encourage social connection and reduce stress ultimately resulting in deeper focus.

Further research

Cognitive training and attention control exercises are being developed to improve attention. Most of the solutions to counter continuous partial attention reduce the effect rather than reducing the problem itself. Using brain-training games has seen promising results in increasing cognitive control and reducing susceptibility to distractions. Due to the fast-changing media landscape, the extent to which attention is fragmented keeps evolving, which requires solutions of increasing intensity to reduce continuous partial attention. Future developments will focus on increasing the focus-enhancing toolbox as well as the genetic and physiological implications of continuous partial attention.

Related Research Articles

Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. It is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision-making and behavior. Working memory is often used synonymously with short-term memory, but some theorists consider the two forms of memory distinct, assuming that working memory allows for the manipulation of stored information, whereas short-term memory only refers to the short-term storage of information. Working memory is a theoretical concept central to cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attention</span> Psychological focus, perception and prioritising discrete information

Attention or focus, is the concentration of awareness on some phenomenon to the exclusion of other stimuli. It is the selective concentration on discrete information, either subjectively or objectively. William James (1890) wrote that "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. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence." Attention has also been described as the allocation of limited cognitive processing resources. Attention is manifested by an attentional bottleneck, in terms of the amount of data the brain can process each second; for example, in human vision, less than 1% of the visual input data stream of 1MByte/sec can enter the bottleneck, leading to inattentional blindness.

Stress management consists of a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of improving everyday functioning. Stress produces numerous physical and mental symptoms which vary according to each individual's situational factors. These can include a decline in physical health, such as headaches, chest pain, fatigue, and sleep problems, as well as depression. The process of stress management is named as one of the keys to a happy and successful life in modern society. Life often delivers numerous demands that can be difficult to handle, but stress management provides a number of ways to manage anxiety and maintain overall well-being.

Attention span is the amount of time spent concentrating on a task before becoming distracted. Distractibility occurs when attention is uncontrollably diverted to another activity or sensation. Attention training is said to be part of education, particularly in the way students are trained to remain focused on a topic of discussion for extended periods, developing listening and analytical skills in the process.

Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention. Distractions come from both external sources, and internal sources. External distractions include factors such as visual triggers, social interactions, music, text messages, and phone calls. There are also internal distractions such as hunger, fatigue, illness, worrying, and daydreaming. Both external and internal distractions contribute to the interference of focus.

In cognitive psychology, cognitive load refers to the amount of working memory resources used. However, it is essential to distinguish it from the actual construct of Cognitive Load (CL) or Mental Workload (MWL), which is studied widely in many disciplines. According to work conducted in the field of instructional design and pedagogy, broadly, there are three types of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load is the effort associated with a specific topic; extraneous cognitive load refers to the way information or tasks are presented to a learner; and germane cognitive load refers to the work put into creating a permanent store of knowledge. However, over the years, the additivity of these types of cognitive load has been investigated and questioned. Now it is believed that they circularly influence each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beck's cognitive triad</span> Three key elements of depression

Beck's cognitive triad, also known as the negative triad, is a cognitive-therapeutic view of the three key elements of a person's belief system present in depression. It was proposed by Aaron Beck in 1967. The triad forms part of his cognitive theory of depression and the concept is used as part of CBT, particularly in Beck's "Treatment of Negative Automatic Thoughts" (TNAT) approach.

Directed attention fatigue (DAF) is a neuro-psychological phenomenon that results from overuse of the brain's inhibitory attention mechanisms, which handle incoming distractions while maintaining focus on a specific task. The greatest threat to a given focus of attention is competition from other stimuli that can cause a shift in focus. This is because one maintains focus on a particular thought by inhibiting all potential distractions and not by strengthening that central mental activity. Directed attention fatigue occurs when a particular part of the brain's global inhibitory system is overworked due to the suppression of increasing numbers of stimuli. This temporary condition is not a clinical illness or a personality disorder. It is rather a temporary fatigue of the inhibitory mechanisms in the brain. According to inhibition theory, it is natural for one to alternate between periods of attention and distraction. Although one's efforts may involve very different tasks, each incoming stimulus calls upon the same directed attention mechanism.

Attention management refers to models and tools for supporting the management of attention at the individual or at the collective level, and at the short-term or at a longer term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media multitasking</span> Concurrent use of multiple media streams

Media multitasking is the concurrent use of multiple digital media streams. Media multitasking has been associated with depressive symptoms and social anxiety by a study involving 318 participants. A 2018 review found that while the literature is sparse and inconclusive, people who do a heavy amount of media multitasking have worse performance in several cognitive domains. One of the authors commented that while the data does not "unambiguously show that media multitasking causes a change in attention and memory," media multitasking is an inefficient practice that requires "task switching" costs including "limitations in auditory and visual processing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human multitasking</span> Ability to perform activities simultaneously

Human multitasking is the concept that one can split their attention on more than one task or activity at the same time, such as speaking on the phone while driving a car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational burnout</span> Type of occupational stress

The ICD-11 of the World Health Organization (WHO) describes occupational burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn't been successfully managed, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy." It is classified as a mismatch between the challenges of work and a person's mental and physical resources, but is not recognized by the WHO as a medical condition.

Attention restoration theory (ART) asserts that people can concentrate better after spending time in nature, or even looking at scenes of nature. Natural environments abound with "soft fascinations" which a person can reflect upon in "effortless attention", such as clouds moving across the sky, leaves rustling in a breeze or water bubbling over rocks in a stream. Philosophically, nature has long been seen as a source of peace and energy, yet the scientific community started rigorous testing only as recently as the 1990s which has allowed scientific and accurate comments to be made about if nature has a restorative attribute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memory improvement</span> Act of improving ones memory

Memory improvement is the act of enhancing one's memory. Research on improving memory is driven by amnesia, age-related memory loss, and people’s desire to enhance their memory. Research involved in memory improvement has also worked to determine what factors influence memory and cognition. There are many different techniques to improve memory some of which include cognitive training, psychopharmacology, diet, stress management, and exercise. Each technique can improve memory in different ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of stress on memory</span> Overview of the effects of stress on memory

The effects of stress on memory include interference with a person's capacity to encode memory and the ability to retrieve information. Stimuli, like stress, improved memory when it was related to learning the subject. During times of stress, the body reacts by secreting stress hormones into the bloodstream. Stress can cause acute and chronic changes in certain brain areas which can cause long-term damage. Over-secretion of stress hormones most frequently impairs long-term delayed recall memory, but can enhance short-term, immediate recall memory. This enhancement is particularly relative in emotional memory. In particular, the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and the amygdala are affected. One class of stress hormone responsible for negatively affecting long-term, delayed recall memory is the glucocorticoids (GCs), the most notable of which is cortisol. Glucocorticoids facilitate and impair the actions of stress in the brain memory process. Cortisol is a known biomarker for stress. Under normal circumstances, the hippocampus regulates the production of cortisol through negative feedback because it has many receptors that are sensitive to these stress hormones. However, an excess of cortisol can impair the ability of the hippocampus to both encode and recall memories. These stress hormones are also hindering the hippocampus from receiving enough energy by diverting glucose levels to surrounding muscles.

Interruption science is the interdisciplinary scientific study concerned with how interruptions affect human performance, and the development of interventions to ameliorate the disruption caused by interruptions. Interruption science is a branch of human factors psychology and emerged from human–computer interaction and cognitive psychology.

Stress in medical students is stress caused by strenuous medical programs, which may have physical and psychological effects on the well-being of medical students. Excessive stress in medical training predisposes students for difficulties in solving interpersonal conflicts as a result of previous stress. A significant percentage of medical students suffer from anxiety disorders because of the long term effects of stress on emotional and behavioral symptomatology. Dental students also suffer from excessive stress especially during the clinical years. This condition has become a focus of concern nationally and globally, therefore the first line of detection and defense from stress are the students themselves. Students need to be given the tools to recognize and cope with stress, as well as being assured that they will not suffer judgment from others for recognizing their need for help in dealing with stress. The instructors, advisers and other faculty members who notice the signs of stress in a student need to approach the student in a non-threatening, non-judgmental way, in an effort to help medical students recognize and handle their stress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychological stress and sleep</span> Effects of stress on sleep patterns

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity, and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings. An essential aspect of sleep is that it provides the human body with a period of reduced functioning that allows for the systems throughout the body to be repaired. This time allows for the body to recharge and return to a phase of optimal functioning. It is recommended that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is regulated by an internal process known as the circadian rhythm. This 24-hour cycle regulates periods of alertness and tiredness that an individual experiences. The correlation between psychological stress and sleep is complex and not fully understood. In fact, many studies have found a bidirectional relationship between stress and sleep. This means that sleep quality can affect stress levels, and stress levels can affect sleep quality. Sleep change depends on the type of stressor, sleep perception, related psychiatric conditions, environmental factors, and physiological limits.

Stress exposure training is the practicing of important existing skills in a stressful and distracting environment to develop the ability to perform them reliably in spite of the circumstances.

The 52/17 Rule is a time management method that recommends 52 minutes of focused working followed by 17 minutes of complete resting and recharging.

References

  1. ↑ Nate Torkington's blog coverage Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine of Stone's talk at the 2006 O'Reilly Emerging Technology conference.
  2. ↑ Continuous Partial Attention—Not the Same as Multi-Tasking, July 24, 2008, Business Week
  3. ↑ Multitasking versus continuous partial attention Lifehacker, January 11, 2008
  4. 1 2 3 Stone, Linda. "Continuous Partial Attention".
  5. ↑ Misner, Ivan (2014). "The Danger of Continuous Partial Attention".
  6. ↑ Schmitz, Florian; Krämer, Raimund J. (2023-03-30). "Task Switching: On the Relation of Cognitive Flexibility with Cognitive Capacity". Journal of Intelligence. 11 (4): 68. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence11040068 . ISSN   2079-3200. PMC   10140903 . PMID   37103253.
  7. ↑ Draheim, Christopher; Pak, Richard; Draheim, Amanda A.; Engle, Randall W. (2022-08-01). "The role of attention control in complex real-world tasks". Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 29 (4): 1143–1197. doi:10.3758/s13423-021-02052-2. ISSN   1531-5320. PMC   8853083 . PMID   35167106.
  8. ↑ Rioja, Kenneth; Cekic, Sezen; Bavelier, Daphne; Baumgartner, Susanne E. (2023-05-01). "Unraveling the link between media multitasking and attention across three samples". Technology, Mind, and Behavior. 4 (2). doi:10.1037/tmb0000106. ISSN   2689-0208. PMC   7614709 . PMID   37397029.
  9. ↑ Shaffer, Joyce (2016-07-26). "Neuroplasticity and Clinical Practice: Building Brain Power for Health". Frontiers in Psychology. 7: 1118. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01118 . ISSN   1664-1078. PMC   4960264 . PMID   27507957.
  10. ↑ Al-Hashimi, Omar; Zanto, Theodore P.; Gazzaley, Adam (October 2015). "Neural sources of performance decline during continuous multitasking". Cortex. 71: 49–57. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2015.06.001. PMC   5777600 . PMID   26159323.
  11. ↑ Kohpeima Jahromi, Vahid; Tabatabaee, Seyed Saeed; Esmaeili Abdar, Zahra; Rajabi, Mahboobeh (2016-03-25). "Active listening: The key of successful communication in hospital managers". Electronic Physician. 8 (3): 2123–2128. doi:10.19082/2123. PMC   4844478 . PMID   27123221.
  12. ↑ Buła, Piotr; Thompson, Anna; Żak, Agnieszka Anna (2024-01-01). "Nurturing teamwork and team dynamics in a hybrid work model". Central European Management Journal. ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print). doi: 10.1108/CEMJ-12-2022-0277 . ISSN   2658-2430.
  13. ↑ Vuori, Timo O.; Huy, Quy N. (March 2016). "Distributed Attention and Shared Emotions in the Innovation Process: How Nokia Lost the Smartphone Battle". Administrative Science Quarterly. 61 (1): 9–51. doi:10.1177/0001839215606951. ISSN   0001-8392.
  14. 1 2 Firat, Mehmet (January 2013). "Multitasking or Continuous Partial Attention: A Critical Bottleneck for Digital Natives". Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education– via ResearchGate.
  15. ↑ Irfan, Muhammad; Khalid, Raja Abubakar; Kaka Khel, Syyed Sami Ul Haq; Maqsoom, Ahsen; Sherani, Imran Khan (2023-02-27). "Impact of work–life balance with the role of organizational support and job burnout on project performance". Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. 30 (1): 154–171. doi:10.1108/ECAM-04-2021-0316. ISSN   0969-9988.
  16. ↑ Irfan, Muhammad; Khalid, Raja Abubakar; Kaka Khel, Syyed Sami Ul Haq; Maqsoom, Ahsen; Sherani, Imran Khan (2023-02-27). "Impact of work–life balance with the role of organizational support and job burnout on project performance". Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. 30 (1): 154–171. doi:10.1108/ECAM-04-2021-0316. ISSN   0969-9988.
  17. 1 2 Misra, Shalini; Roberts, Patrick; Rhodes, Matthew (December 2020). "Information overload, stress, and emergency managerial thinking". International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 51: 101762. Bibcode:2020IJDRR..5101762M. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101762. ISSN   2212-4209.
  18. ↑ Haughton, Noela A.; Yeh, Kuo-Chuan (Martin); Nworie, John; Romero, Liz (2013). "Digital Disturbances, Disorders, and Pathologies: A Discussion of Some Unintended Consequences of Technology in Higher Education". Educational Technology. 53 (4): 3–16. ISSN   0013-1962. JSTOR   44430163.
  19. ↑ Marci, Carl D. (2022). Rewired: protecting your brain in the Digital Age. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-98366-3.
  20. ↑ Information Technology & People. Emerald. doi:10.1108/itp.
  21. ↑ Dhiman, Satinder, ed. (2021). The Routledge companion to mindfulness at work. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN   978-0-429-24466-7.
  22. ↑ Bulling, Andreas (January 2016). "Pervasive Attentive User Interfaces" (PDF). Indistinguishable from Magic.
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