CONCENTRATION AND ATTENTION FAILURE

Members:
Policarpio, Job Mathew V.
Rivero, Mary Kyrstine S.
Atas, Xander
Santiago Iaira Lois
Limbuhan, David Peterson N.
CONCENTRATION AND ATTENTION FAILURE

DISCUSSION:
1. What are the factors that contribute to loss of attention and concentration?

Multitasking skills are required to perform the second part of the experiment. It
includes consistent concentration and attention. In the experiment, several factors that
contributed to loss of attention and concentration were seen. These factors include time
pressure, information overload, and multitasking itself. A study of Poolton et al (2011)
shows that time pressure and multitasking affect psychomotor operative performance as
stressors. In their study, 30 medical students were sampled to be taught Laparoscopic
Surgery peg transfer wherein they were supposed to work in time pressure and with
multiple activities at the same time. The results showed that time pressure caused
significant increase in the stress level of the students. At the same time, multitasking
lengthened the finishing time of the procedure. In the experiment, there is a minute time
limit wherein the participant is expected to count backwards from 150 to 0 and
simultaneously write the sentence “The apparatus is a standard piece of equipment known
as perimeter and about ¾ inch in diameter.” The time limit caused stress to the participant
because she was expected to write the sentence in as many times as possible. The
lingering thought of the minute being over on the participant’s mind might be included as
a mental noise. With the multitasking factor being present, further stress is being put in
the participant’s mind which causes the loss of concentration and attention. In Poolton et
al’s (2011) study, it was also shown that the time pressure and multitasking affect
psychomotor performance. In the experiment, psychomotor performance is also involved
since writing while counting is being done. As such, it can be said that the psychomotor
performance of the participant was also affected by time pressure and multitasking.
As for the other factors, information overload, empirical evidence will be used.
Counting backwards from 150 to 0 involves 151 quantitative values that needs to be
spoken in order. When being done as one task, it might be easy, but while writing a
sentence with 16 words and 1 numerical value accurately, it can become a nuisance and
cause information overload. Counting has been practiced a lot of times in our lifetime so
the tendency is that we will focus more on writing the sentence that is new and fresh in
our brains. Yet, it is not the case because counting backwards is another issue, it requires
more attention than just counting since it is not being practiced normally, especially
coming from 150 down to 0. It might be simple to task a basketball player to recite a
newly memorized poem while dribbling the ball. Naturally, dribbling the ball will be
done using muscle memory since it was practiced a lot of times so reciting the poem will
receive more focus and attention. But in the experiment’s case, both counting backwards,
and writing needs equal attention. Meaning 152 quantitative values and 16 words needs
to be processed by the brain simultaneously so it will cause information overload. With
enough attention and concentration, it can be done easily, but with the presence of time
pressure, multitasking, and information overload, loss of attention and concentration
won’t be avoided.

Poolton, J. M., Wilson, M. R., Malhotra, N., Ngo, K., & Masters, R. S. (2011). A
comparison of evaluation, time pressure, and multitasking as stressors of psychomotor
operative performance. Surgery, 149(6), 776-782.

2. What are the usual causes of accidents? How can one minimize accident
proneness?

Accidents are unavoidable and are inevitable in our unpredictable lives. And
there is a myriad of reasons as to why they occur ranging from external variables that we
cannot control to basic human error. Current researchers are investigating the
phenomenon of accident proneness and have been led to several conclusions as to why
accidents occur in our everyday settings. First are the attention-related errors. This type
of error happens mostly during car accidents wherein the driver was distracted and was
unaware of their surroundings causing them to miss the vehicle in front of them. In a
home setting, it could be accidentally setting your home on fire because you were too
busy watching memes on the Internet that you forgot you were cooking dinner. Human
error brought on by stress is also a factor as to why accidents happen. There was a study
conducted wherein the researchers found that some accidents may have been caused due
to an individual’s current capacity to regulate their thoughts and attentional capacity. In
other words, individuals who are often stressed find it difficult to regulate the focus of
their attention, memory, and cognitive process. These individuals are so stressed that they
are unlikely to notice the differences and obstacles in their backgrounds causing them to
trip/fall or sustain a type of injury. Within the study, they also discussed that lapses and
accidents may have also been caused by anxiousness and depression. There was a
significant relationship between cognitive failure and accident proneness found within the
study.
Meanwhile, there is a type of epilepsy named Absence Epilepsy which gives
bouts of inattention and loss of awareness to an individual that might hinder them from
reacting to external stimuli. Children who are diagnosed with attention epilepsy show
lower attention tests compared to their developed peers. This disorder impairs everyday
activities experiencing attention deficits and occasional failures in their motor system
which may account for the accidental injuries. Children and adolescents affected with AE
are reported to have a higher risk of accidents and injuries compared to other people in
their age range.
While accidents are unavoidable, there are many ways to avoid such unfortunate
incidents. As mentioned previously, stress can cause cognitive failure, memory problems,
and attention failure. One way of minimizing stress-induced injuries and accidents is to
remove or minimize the root of the problem, stress. Physical activities like exercise and
sports can help aid sleep. A better sleep aids stress management which in turn keeps us in
a better mood and rationality during the day. Also, try to take a break every once in a
while to avoid being overwhelmed and avoid doing things that trigger your stress. Next is
being aware of one’s surroundings. When driving or performing an activity that requires
your utmost attention, avoid being distracted and be mindful of what you’re doing in
order to avoid errors and fatal accidents. While multitasking might be great for
optimizing your time, it might keep you less focused and cause you to make mistakes and
accidental errors. Then, always make sure to follow the instructions. Make sure to pay
attention to the details in order to avoid making mistakes that can lead to injury. And
lastly, when you are aware that you are taking on a task or job that may present risks.
Properly train yourself for emergencies and other situations that might compromise your
well-being.
In conclusion, attention is an important part of our cognitive function that helps us
respond to the relevant stimuli and respond to it. It helps us make sure that we are
focusing on a task at hand without making mistakes; thus, attention is integral to our daily
living. Even though being aware and mindful are important to keeping your focus and
staying attentive, it is also important to take care of our physical and mental well-being to
make sure that our brain is running smoothly and help us avoid bad judgments and errors
that might compromise us, one way or another.

References:
Andres, V. (2015, September 15). 6 Ways To Prevent Accidents In The Workplace |

Return to Work & Rehab Consulting Services - Independence Incorporated.

Independence Incorporated. https://indep.ca/6-ways-to-prevent-accidents-in-the-

workplace/

Barone, V., van Putten, M. J., & Visser, G. H. (2020). Absence epilepsy: Characteristics,

pathophysiology, attention impairments, and the related risk of accidents. A

narrative review. Epilepsy & Behavior, 112, 107342.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107342

Day, A. J., Brasher, K., & Bridger, R. S. (2012). Accident proneness revisited: The role

of psychological stress and cognitive failure. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 49,

532–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2012.03.028

Stress Management. (2000, January 1). WebMD.

https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management
Documentation:

Found below are some photographs taken of the attempted experiments and the data

we have collected; Furthermore, A video of the entire experimental trials are linked

further below as Google Drive access links.

UNDIVIDED ATTENTION:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NTL09bUAi9WX5eAex-bU9zlEk65nhYqO?usp=sharing