How subject characteristics influence attention task performance: A structural modeling approach

This research project presented and tested a theoretical model of auditory sustained attention. The model includes the personal, or subject characteristics that are believed to influence a person's ability to sustain attention . These characteristics are positive affect, negative affect, motivation, arousal, and concentration . Auditory sustained attention is represented by performance on a computerized continuous performance test (CPT); the CPT is widely used in both research and clinical settings . Three hundred and eleven participants were recruited for this study. Data from 286 of them were included in these analyses. All participants received some form of course credit for their participation . The measurement instruments used in this study include several paper and pencil tasks as well as an auditory CPT. Structural equation modeling methodology was used to analyze the plausibility of the hypothesized model of attention as well as several sub-models, each containing a subpart of the hypothesized model. The results revealed several strengths as well as weaknesses of the model. Overall, across the models tested, the hypothesized model seemed to best represent the cognitive process in question . An important finding was that the construct Arousal seemed to be well defined (58% of the variance was accounted for) by three rather simple paper and pencil tasks . This construct has always been considered difficult to measure, thus the findings of this study may be very useful in this regard . The model, while not conclusive, provides important information about the proposed elements that work together to sustain attention, as well as for the specific measures used in this model to represent those elements. Future studies are needed to refine and improve on the measures so that the constructs will be better represented and understood. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT They say time flies when you are having fun. The last five years seem to have passed in a blink. I have truly enjoyed these graduate school years, and there are many people who have contributed to making this wonderful experience possible . This study is the culmination of several years of work. I want to start by thanking the group of people, my committee, who have had a huge impact on all of the major milestones in my course of study. These professors have served on committees for my thesis, comprehensive exams, and now this dissertation . Drs . Winnie Brownell , Jerry Cohen, Dom Valentino, and Grant Willis have been involved in all of these events . In addition, Drs . Sandra Ketrow and Charlie Collyer have served on both my thesis and oral comprehensive exam committees . Dr. Nelson Smith and Dr . Donna Schwartz-Barcott joined the committee for the defense of this dissertation . These are all people whom I admire for their dedication to teaching and quality research . I know that they have combined to teach me important lessons, improve my research skills, and help me to see how to approach an issue from new directions . I thank them for their time and effort, and importantly , for making me feel comfortable in stressful situations; all of our meetings, while challenging for me, had an atmosphere of respect and support which made them very positive learning experiences . This project was a large undertaking, and there are several other people who helped to make it possible to complete it on time. First, two undergraduate research assistants, Vanessa Tucker and Dawn Vigue, assisted with the data collection . Without their help, the large amount of data needed for the model would never have been collected in only one semester . Both of these women willingly spent many hours each