scholarly journals Individual differences in media multitasking ability: The importance of cognitive flexibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 100068
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Seddon ◽  
Anna S. Law ◽  
Anne-Marie Adams ◽  
Fiona R. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Media Multitasking

scholarly journals Changing our thinking about changing their thinking in older adulthood

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1407
Author(s):  
Viviana M. Wuthrich
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
New Learning

It is well-established that as people age, deterioration in cognitive abilities including processing speed, memory, and cognitive flexibility occurs, although vast individual differences occur in the rate and consequences of this decline (Christensen, 2001). Anxiety and depression in late life are also associated with specific cognitive deficits in memory and executive functioning that may impact on new learning (Yochim et al., 2013). Therefore, it is possible that cognitive changes make it more difficult for older adults to learn how to change their thinking particularly in the context of psychological therapy.

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AMONG REPRESSORS AND SENSITIZERS IN CONCEPTUAL SKILLS

1973 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-152
Author(s):  
William H. Bergouist ◽  
John T. Lloyd ◽  
Sandra L. Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Concept Acquisition ◽  
Conceptual Skills ◽  
Disjunctive Concepts ◽  
Conjunctive Concepts ◽  
Better Than

Sensitizers were hypothesized to perform significantly better than repressors on eleven concept acquisition tasks. Differences between repression-sensitization (R-S) groups (n = 48), as measured by the Byrne R-S scale, were found to be significant on several of these tasks. As compared with repressors, sensitizers more rapidly acquired: (a) A disjunctive nonverbal concept, when a set for conjunctive concepts had to be broken (p < 0.05); and (b) Two verbal concepts (p < 0.05). Medium scoring subjects performed significantly better than repressors in acquiring: (a) Nonverbal disjunctive concepts (p < 0.05); and (b) Verbal concepts (p < 0.05). R-S results are discussed with reference to conceptual skills and “cognitive flexibility”.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Task-Unrelated Thought in University Classrooms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Kane ◽  
Nicholas Carruth ◽  
John Lurquin ◽  
Paul Silvia ◽  
Bridget Anne Smeekens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Situational Interest ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Media Multitasking ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Thought Probes ◽  
Course Outcomes

This study investigated what academic traits, attitudes, and habits predict individual differences in task-unrelated thought (TUT) during lectures, and whether this TUT propensity mediates associations between academic individual differences and course outcomes (final grade and situational interest evoked by material). Undergraduates (N=851) from 10 psychology classes at two U.S. universities responded to thought probes presented during two early-course lectures; they also indicated sitting in the front, middle, or back of the classroom. At each probe, students categorized their thought content, such as indicating on-task thought or TUT. Students also completed online, academic-self-report questionnaires at the beginning of the course and a situational interest questionnaire at the end. Average TUT rate was 24% but individuals’ rates varied widely (SD=18%). TUT rates also increased substantially from the front to back of the classroom, and modestly from the first to second half of class periods. Multiple-group analyses (with 10 classroom groups) indicated that: (a) classroom media-multitasking habits, initial interest in the course topic, and everyday propensity for mind-wandering and boredom accounted for unique variance in TUT rate (beyond other predictors); (b) TUT rate accounted for unique (modest) variance in course grades and situational interest; and (c) classroom media multitasking and propensity for mind-wandering and boredom had indirect associations with course grades via TUT rate, and these predictor variables, along with initial interest, had indirect associations with end-of-term situational interest via TUT rate. Some academic traits and behaviors predict course outcomes in part because they predict off-task thought during class.

Media Multitasking Negatively Impacts Cognitive Flexibility

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Lopez ◽  
Joseph M Orr
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Processing ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Media Multitasking ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Serial Processing ◽  
Processing Styles ◽  
Processing Abilities ◽  
Remote Associates Test

Given the prevalence of multitasking today, it is critical to understand how multitasking affects the mind. Recent studies have suggested that frequent multitaskers perform worse on tasks requiring cognitive control. Nevertheless, others have suggested that frequent multitasking may lead to an improvement of parallel processing abilities, perhaps at the expense of serial processing. The current study examined whether the degree to which a person engages in media multitasking affects the balance between serial and parallel processing styles. Moreover, we examined the idea that heavy multitaskers would be biased toward the parallel processing of tasks. For this study, parallel processing was indexed by the divergent thinking paradigm, the AUT (Alternative Uses Task), and serial processing by the convergent thinking paradigm, the RAT (Remote Associates Test). Our hypothesis was that people who frequently media multitask would display higher measures of divergent thinking, while those who media multitask to a lesser degree would in turn display higher measures of convergent thinking. 528 college students completed the Media Use Questionnaire in order to compute their Media Multitasking Inventory (MMI) score, as well as the RAT and AUT. A negative relationship between MMI score and AUT scores was found, indicating that more time spent media multitasking was associated with less divergent thinking. There was no significant effect of MMI and RAT scores. Subjects who completed the AUT online performed significantly worse than their in-person counterparts. These results suggest that the more an individual media multitasks, the poorer cognitive flexibility they command. Further, the context and environment in which these heavier media multitaskers operate in may influence their degree of cognitive flexibility.

Openness

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina R. Sutin
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Marriage And Family ◽  
Health And Well Being

Despite its early struggles to survive, openness is now recognized as a personality trait with far-reaching consequences. This chapter is an overview of how individual differences in cognitive flexibility, sensitivity to aesthetics, depth of feeling, and preference for novelty contribute to important domains of functioning. Briefly reviewed will be conceptualizations of openness, some measurement considerations, and where it fits within the nomological net of related constructs. The chapter is then devoted to the nature and consequences of openness, arranged from the biological to the societal. Research on the biological roots of openness and its developmental trajectory from early childhood through old age are then covered. Also considered is how openness contributes to nearly every aspect of functioning, including health and well-being, employment, person presentation and perception, marriage and family, and its geographic implications.

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