Attention Disturbances
Conditions
Brief summary
This study assesses the impact of mind-wandering on reading and math.
Detailed description
This study assesses the impact of mind-wandering on reading and math. Specifically 120 middle school student participants will receive descriptive measures (of achievement, attention and related factors including mind-wandering), and will receive a brief (\ 30 min) lesson in reading and math (order counterbalanced). Participants will receive a brief pre-test, the lesson, and then a post-test on the reading and math outcomes. 75% of the participants will receive a brief manipulation that sets up the influence of mind-wandering, as well as redirects when probe-caught mind-wandering occurs. The remaining participants will receive only redirects, and only randomly. Among participants to receive the mind-wandering manipulation, an equal number will receive this only for reading, only for math, and for both reading and math.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALmind-wandering intervention
Participants in this condition receive a brief introduction to the potential impact of mind-wandering (before learning, proactive), and are redirected to lesson if probe-caught mind-wandering are endorsed (during learning, reactive)
BEHAVIORALmind-wandering comparison
Participants in this condition receive no introduction, and only redirection, and the redirection is random, not in reaction to mind-wandering
Sponsors
University of Houston
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Masking description
There is no need, and it is not possible to blind condition
Intervention model description
The factors are study condition order (reading, math), proactive and reactive mind-wandering manipulation (yes, no), and lesson target (reading, math, both, neither)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
11 Years to 15 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* enrollment in schools where we have permission to conduct the study
Exclusion criteria
* students known to be enrolled in separate curricula (e.g., life-skills classes)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Investigator Developed Items Derived From Reading Content Being Taught | administered one time immediately following the single reading learning session on day 1 | Participants will answer multiple choice questions regarding the reading material being taught, and the key index will the raw score number correct. The investigators call the scale Sleep and Dreams (after the content the participant is reading about), and the possible score range will be 0 (min) to 24 (max), with higher scores meaning better comprehension of the material. |
| Investigator Developed Items Derived From Math Content Being Taught | adminstered one time immediately following the single math learning session on day 1 | Participants will answer multiple choice questions regarding the math material being taught, and the key index will the raw score number correct. The investigators call the scale Circles (after the content being taught), and the possible score range will be 0 (min) to 24 (max), with higher scores meaning better comprehension of the material. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Investigator Developed Probe-Caught Mind-Wandering | On 12 occasions interspersed during each of the math and reading learning sessions, on day 1 only. | During the learning (of the reading and math content), participants are prompted on several occasions as to whether their mind was wandering during the lesson. This is a single item multiple/choice scale (called Probe-Caught Mind Wandering), with the range being 0 (min) to 12 (max), with lower scores indicating the better outcome (less mind wandering) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed