Simultaneous Media Usage: Effects on Attention

Media layering, the simultaneous use of multiple unrelated media sources, has been documented as an increasing behavior trend (Roberts, Foehr, & Rideout, 2005) that marks a qualitative and quantitative difference in the way media is experienced. Presently, the impact on consumers from media layering is unknown. A strong theoretical foundation of human information processing theory predicts negative consequences in terms of performance cost in learning, and degradation of attention. Related research on dual task performance and multiple-channel processing demonstrates a decline in performance. This study compared sustained attention performance on a cancellation task, the d2 Test of Attention (Brickenkamp & Zillmer, 1998), in four varying media conditions. Performance scores were evaluated to determine the effect of degrees of extraneous media saturation and media interaction on attention task performance.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Department dc:contributor.department

Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Gardner, Joni Smith

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Moore, David M.
• Cennamo, Katherine S.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Billingsley, Bonnie S.
• Doolittle, Peter E.
• Lockee, Barbara B.
• Burton, John K.

• information processing
• dual task
• attention
• media layering
• simultaneous media

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-02142008-172617

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26200