Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

In everyday life, we are constantly surrounded by a huge amount of information.Since our attentional resources are limited, we need to select just the stimuli that we want to process. Despite our voluntary attempt to select a precise information, it often occurs that a salient stimulus or event automatically captures our attention, regardless its irrelevance. The fact that we are immediately and unintentionally attracted by sudden visual onsets provides a clear advantage for our survival. However, in spite of that, the possibility to counteract visual distraction is fundamental for an efficient interaction with the environment, particularly when a salient but irrelevant stimulation repeatedly affects our visual system. And then, how can we resist from being continuously distracted by irrelevant repetitive onsets? The current work is aimed to explore the mechanisms that we use to filter irrelevant information, with a focus on habituation, an ancestral form of learning that has recently been associated to the decrement of attentional capture observed in several studies. This experience-dependent learning process is defined as a behavioral response decrement that results from repeated stimulation and that does not involve sensory or motor fatigue. I will first provide the reader with a general introduction (Chapter 1) concerning the visual attention field, with a particular emphasis on attentional capture and the filtering of irrelevant information. I will then (Chapter 2) try to disentangle the two main accounts concerning the nature of the distractor filtering, the first claiming that filtering is accomplished to shield target processing from interference (top-down inhibitory control hypothesis), and the second stating that the passive exposure to a repeating visual onset is sufficient to trigger learning-dependent mechanisms to filter the unwanted stimulation (habituation hypothesis). After providing strong evidence in favor of the latter account, I will then examine (Chapter 3) to what extent the filtering of irrelevant information that we achieve through the mechanisms underlying habituation is affected by contextual cues, showing that this kind of filtering is context-dependent. Finally (Chapter 4), motivated by the existence of a strong functional and anatomical link between attention and the oculomotor system, I will explore whether habituation affects also the oculomotor capture triggered by an onset distractor, showing that the execution of reflexive saccades is subject to habituation, while the programming component is not. Taken together, the results of the present work give a strong contribution to the attentional capture field in showing that both attentional and oculomotor capture are subject to habituation, that this form of learning is context-specific and that it occurs also when we are passively exposed to a visual irrelevant stimulus.

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Prior research suggested that attentional control plays a role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders in youth. Research also suggests that youth on the autism spectrum suffer from difficulties in executive functioning, including attentional control. The current study investigated the relationship between attentional control and autism spectrum symptoms. The relationship between attentional control, anxiety, and emotion regulation skills was also explored. Participants were 76 treatment seeking youth between the ages of 7 and 17 (Mage = 11.05, SD = 2.99) who met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder and had either minimal symptoms of autism spectrum disorder or severe levels of autism symptoms. Results failed to find evidence that those with severe autism symptoms had more attentional control difficulties than those with minimal autism symptoms. The results also failed to show a link between anxiety levels and attentional control variables, as well as a link between emotion regulation and attentional control. Consistent with previous research, poor emotion regulation skills were correlated with higher levels of anxiety. Potential reasons for lack of significant findings are discussed, as well as implications for the present data on current research. / Psychology

During a university lecture, students’ attention typically declines as the lecture progresses. Lapses in attention can interfere with learning and memory for the presented material to negatively impact a student’s overall academic performance. Prior research has shown that incorporating five-minute high-intensity exercise breaks during a university lecture improved student attention and comprehension compared to a computer break or no break. Although promising, high-intensity exercises may not be suitable for a university classroom. To improve feasibility for implementation, the current study aimed to determine whether reducing the intensity of the exercise breaks could still yield similar cognitive benefits. One hundred participants watched a 50-minute online lecture with no breaks (control; n = 25) or while intermittently taking exercise breaks of high (n = 26), medium (n = 26) or low intensity (n = 23). Attention was measured throughout the lecture and comprehension was measured after learning. The groups did not significantly differ on their ability to pay attention (Time 1: X2(2) = 3.61, p = .31; Time 2: X2(2) = 3.20, p = .36) or comprehend (F(1,93) = . 26, p = .6) the lecture material. However, when controlling for significant group differences in academic performance outside of the study (F(3, 113) = 3.52, p = .02) and baseline comprehension performance during the study, small positive improvements were observed on comprehension following an exercise break of all intensities (Cohen’s d < .67 and >.08), but with the largest effect size seen for high intensity exercise breaks towards the end of the lecture. These positive trends point to the benefit exercise breaks on learning in a university setting and establish the foundation for further research. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The current thesis intersects cognition and education to study the mental experience of mind wandering and its consequences. This research examines attention and memory using materials, methodologies, and research questions drawn from authentic classroom environments. The overarching question driving this thesis centres on when and why students mind wander during lectures, and how we can reduce its negative impact on learning. The hypothesis underpinning all the presented research proposes that stronger motivation reduces mind wandering, thus improving learning outcomes. The current thesis examines how three different motivational manipulations affect reports of intentional mind wandering—when participants deliberately choose to redirect their attention away from the lecture—and unintentional mind wandering—when participants find their attention to be off-task despite their best efforts to stay focused. Quizzing, monetary rewards, and time-based rewards affected mind wandering reports, particularly reports of intentional mind wandering. Although, throughout this thesis, there was no direct impact on learning, there was consistent evidence of a negative correlation between mind wandering reports and learning. Based on these findings, this thesis discusses implications for the enterprise of mind wandering research, principles of motivation to leverage in education, and pedagogies to improve the classroom learning experience. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Our minds wander multiple times a day—during work, school, leisure time, meals, and countless other activities. When mind wandering occurs during lectures, it negatively impacts our ability to learn information. If we are motivated, we are likely to learn more, and some researchers have suggested that this happens because we are better able to pay attention while learning. The research presented in this thesis used three reward types in an attempt to reduce two types of mind wandering (intentional vs. spontaneous) and, therefore, produce better learning. This thesis demonstrated that outside rewards can increase motivation, and that these changes in motivation appear to affect intentional mind wandering more than spontaneous mind wandering. Reducing mind wandering by properly motivating our students should promote better learning; as educators, effective lectures must play that role for students.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) consists of symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity that cause significant functional impairment (APA, 1994). Approximately 4.7% of adults are diagnosed with ADHD; however, there are few empirically-informed interventions that are specifically designed for adults. Instead, many of the common interventions for adults are derived from work done with children with ADHD and may not be appropriate for their particular needs (Weiss & Weiss, 2004). Given that adults with ADHD typically experience more symptoms of inattention rather than hyperactivity, an investigation of the effectiveness of an intervention that specifically targets their inattentive symptoms is warranted (Weiss & Weiss, 2004; Weiss et al., 2002). Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an attention-specific intervention for adults with ADHD. The intervention used in this study, Attention Process Training (APT; Sohlberg & Mateer, 1987), has never been applied to adults with ADHD. The underlying assumption behind this intervention is that attentional functioning can be improved through the use of tasks that are designed to re-train various aspects of attention. More specifically, this study addressed sustained, alternating, and selective/divided attention during the intervention. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used in order to assess the effectiveness of the APT among a sample of adults with ADHD. A sample of four adults, aged 21-37 years (M = 27.75) participated in this study and demonstrated minimal changes in their attentional ability after the intervention. In addition, the findings suggest that the different components of attention addressed in this intervention are not distinct and likely have a reciprocal affect on one another. / Ph. D.

Two cognitive processes have been proposed to play a role in social anxiety: self-focused attention and threat perception bias. Mansell, Clark, and Ehlers (2003) devised a novel dot-probe paradigm to simultaneously measure on-line attention to internal and external events among socially anxious adults. Their results indicated that high speech anxious individuals show an internal attention bias specific to a social threat condition. They did not find any differences between groups in a no-threat condition; however, the researchers did not account for processes of effortful control of attention. The current study replicated the Mansell et al. study with an added condition to control for effortful processes of attention. Fifty young adults (mean age = 19.8) were assessed using a self-report measure of social anxiety, as well as the Mansell et al. dot-probe paradigm. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to a brief (250ms) stimulus presentation time with the other half to a 25 second condition, as used by Mansell et al. In addition, subjects were randomly assigned to social threat and non-threat conditions. A three-way interaction of anxiety x threat x length of stimulus presentation was predicted, such that socially anxious individuals would show an external attention bias when not under social threat (threat perception bias). However, under threat, it was hypothesized that anxious individuals would shift their attention internally (self-focused attention). Results of the current study did not support the hypothesized interaction, and provided only equivocal evidence for both self-focused attention and threat perception bias. / Master of Science

Several studies have found that adult caretakers usually hyperarticulate to infants by modifying their voice in ways that promote and sustain infants' attention. This articulation when engaging in infant directed speech (IDS) can result in "clear speech" by the expansion of the vowel space area. The degree of speech clarity produced by caregivers appears to provide advantages for young language learners to promote lexical perception and learning. However few studies have ever examined whether infants are able to perceive the difference between hyperarticulation and normal speech. In this study, 7-to 12-month-olds' (n=17) speech discrimination when hearing hyperarticulated and non-hyperarticulated words in mothers' natural speech production was examined. The degree of speech clarity was determined by the relations of the first (F1) and second formant frequencies (F2) of the vowel. The result showed that there was no discrimination between listening to hyperarticulated and non-hyperarticulated words, indicating that the benefit accrued by exposure to clear speech may require no selective attention on the part of the infant. Thus the advantages of hyperarticulation might be related to other characteristics. / Master of Science