Social Media Interaction Theory
Summary 2020/2021
,
, Literature 1 – Smartphones and attention, curse or
blessing? A review on the effects of smartphone usage
on attention, inhibition, and working memory.
The effects of smartphone usage on specific cognitive functions. The stated findings share one
common aspect; they all consider immediate smartphone-related effects in situations of selective
attention, divided attention or vigilant attention. Previous findings on long-term effects of a general
smartphone use on attentional processes are quite rare.
In the context of smartphone usage, previous studies indicate that the inability to inhibit the tendency
to check for messages can have a negative impact on the productivity at work or university, motivation
and self-efficiency.
Low trait inhibitory control > more likely to quickly respond and have an addiction, less self-control.
Previous studies show that being separated from a smartphone negatively affects mental shifting,
inhibitory control, and working memory, which is mediated by anxiety. Long-term effects of
smartphone usage are working memory and inhibition. This should be differentiated from the
immediate effects of smartphone usage.
Google effect: people put less effort into storing information in the brain as it is nowadays easily
available online.
Lecture 1 – Perception & Attention
- Highly complex and changing human needs and abilities
- Innovation and creative design processes
- Complex new media landscape
= The cognitive-psychological study of how people interact with media and how design features
may effect these processes.
Perception: processes beyond sensation. Processing and organizing the raw information, aiming to
form a coherent representation of the world.
- Bottom-up perception
- Top-down perception (context effects)
Stimulus > Attention > Perception > Thought processes > Decision > Response or action
Based on the assumption that human processing is akin to that of computers. Working step by step
(serial processing).
Attention: selective attention, divided attention, switching attention and vigilant attention. Focus on
selective attention (orienting yourself to task relevant information because there is limited capacity for
processing. Also called flashlight attention).
Attentional control determines where the flashlight is pointing at.
- Bottom-up attentional control: physical salience attracts attention.
- Top-down attentional control: goals & expectations determine what you attend to.
- Relevance-history: attend to what worked for you in the past, what has been relevant for you
in the past.
Summary 2020/2021
,
, Literature 1 – Smartphones and attention, curse or
blessing? A review on the effects of smartphone usage
on attention, inhibition, and working memory.
The effects of smartphone usage on specific cognitive functions. The stated findings share one
common aspect; they all consider immediate smartphone-related effects in situations of selective
attention, divided attention or vigilant attention. Previous findings on long-term effects of a general
smartphone use on attentional processes are quite rare.
In the context of smartphone usage, previous studies indicate that the inability to inhibit the tendency
to check for messages can have a negative impact on the productivity at work or university, motivation
and self-efficiency.
Low trait inhibitory control > more likely to quickly respond and have an addiction, less self-control.
Previous studies show that being separated from a smartphone negatively affects mental shifting,
inhibitory control, and working memory, which is mediated by anxiety. Long-term effects of
smartphone usage are working memory and inhibition. This should be differentiated from the
immediate effects of smartphone usage.
Google effect: people put less effort into storing information in the brain as it is nowadays easily
available online.
Lecture 1 – Perception & Attention
- Highly complex and changing human needs and abilities
- Innovation and creative design processes
- Complex new media landscape
= The cognitive-psychological study of how people interact with media and how design features
may effect these processes.
Perception: processes beyond sensation. Processing and organizing the raw information, aiming to
form a coherent representation of the world.
- Bottom-up perception
- Top-down perception (context effects)
Stimulus > Attention > Perception > Thought processes > Decision > Response or action
Based on the assumption that human processing is akin to that of computers. Working step by step
(serial processing).
Attention: selective attention, divided attention, switching attention and vigilant attention. Focus on
selective attention (orienting yourself to task relevant information because there is limited capacity for
processing. Also called flashlight attention).
Attentional control determines where the flashlight is pointing at.
- Bottom-up attentional control: physical salience attracts attention.
- Top-down attentional control: goals & expectations determine what you attend to.
- Relevance-history: attend to what worked for you in the past, what has been relevant for you
in the past.
