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User:Keaneybr/Directed Attention Fatigue

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Directed Attention Fatigue Proposal:

What is Directed Attention?

  • use of brain's global inhibitory system to handle incoming distractions while maintaining focus on task at hand


What is Directed Attention Fatigue?

  • is a normal biological process
  • is a temporary condition
  • happens when a particular part of brain's global inhibitory systems are overused due to increasing numbers of stimuli needing to be supressed
  • is simply fatigue, not an illness or personality disorder
  • 6 major areas of mental processing that are affected by DAF (according to Kaplan research):
  1. Input- misperception, missing social cues
  2. Thinking- restlessness, confusion, forgetfulness, decreased metacognition
  3. Behavior- impulsiveness, recklessness, diminished threshold between thoughts and actions, actions that are out of character
  4. Executive Functioning- inability to plan and make appropriate decisions, impaired judgment
  5. Emotions- short temperedness, unpleasantness
  6. Social Interactions- irritability, feeling antisocial

Overlap of symptoms from each of the six categories is highly indicative of DAF.


Biology/Physiology of Directed Attention Fatigue

  • parts of brain that are involved in Direct Attention
  • is localized in prefrontal cortex, through anterior cingulate gyrus, down to brain stem's basal ganglia
  • mechanisms of Direct Attention
  • brain becomes fatigued while blocking several competing incoming stimuli from external distractions


What triggers onset of Directed Attention Fatigue?

  • multitasking
  • disruptive background noise
  • rapid changes of focus during prolonged period of attention
  • lack of sleep
  • concentration-intensive tasks such as filing taxes, learning unfamiliar ideas
  • stress resulting from emergencies, exams, or work deadlines
  • illness or injury that interrupts brain circuits involved in maintaining attention


What can be done to reduce Directed Attention Fatigue symptoms?

  • reduce number of distractions in external environment
  • try to clear mind of any internal distractions
  • take short breaks during any prolonged periods of attention or focus
  • get sufficient amount of sleep each night


Who is currently involved in Directed Attention Fatigue research?

  • Drs. Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, University of Michigan enviromental psychologists
  • Dr. Bernadine Cimprich, University of Michigan Professor of Nursing
  • Dr. Frances Kuo and Dr. William Sullivan, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana psychologists


Resources to be used:

Beadle, S. Directed Attention Fatigue and Restoration, 2006. Web. 20 Feb. 2011. http://www.troutfoot.com/attn/index.html.
Berman, Mark G., and Stephen Kaplan. "Directed Attention as a Common Resource for Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation." Perspectives on Psychological Science 5.1 (2010): 43-57. Google ::Scholar. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.
Cimprich B. (1993) Development of an intervention to restore attention in cancer patients. Cancer Nurs. 1993 Apr;16(2):83-92.
Kaplan, S. and R. Kaplan (1982). Cognition and Environment. New York: Praeger. Republished 1989 by Ulrich’s, Ann Arbor, MI.
Kaplan, S. (1978). Attention and fascination: The search for cognitive clarity. In S. Kaplan & R. Kaplan (Eds.), Humanscape: Environments for people. Belmont, CA: Duxbury. (Republished by Ann ::Arbor, MI: Ulrich's, 1982)
Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Aggression and violence in the inner city: impacts of environment via mental fatigue. Environment Behav. 2001;33:543–571.
Lezak, M.D., Assessing executive functions, International Journal of Psychology, 17 (1982) 281-297
Kaplan, R. and Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press 1989: 177-200.

Workload Division:

  • Bridget Keaney-current research of DAF
  • Debra Hwang- psychological aspects of DAF
  • Young Byun-biological aspects of DAF