Attention and Achievement: A Mind Wandering Investigation

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study assesses the impact of mind-wandering on reading and math.

Detailed Description
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This study assesses the impact of mind-wandering on reading and math. Specifically 120 middle school student participants will receive descriptive measures (of achievement, attention and related factors including mind-wandering), and will receive a brief ( 30 min) lesson in reading and math (order counterbalanced). Participants will receive a brief pre-test, the lesson, and then a post-test on the reading and math outcomes. 75% of the participants will receive a brief manipulation that sets up the influence of mind-wandering, as well as redirects when probe-caught mind-wandering occurs. The remaining participants will receive only redirects, and only randomly. Among participants to receive the mind-wandering manipulation, an equal number will receive this only for reading, only for math, and for both reading and math.

Official Title
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Attention and Achievement (A Subproject Affiliated With the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities or TCLD)

Conditions
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Attention Disturbances

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: mind-wandering intervention
* Behavioral: mind-wandering comparison


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: enrollment in schools where we have permission to conduct the study Exclusion Criteria: students known to be enrolled in separate curricula (e.g., life-skills classes)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 11 Years
Maximum Age: 15 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Interventional Model Description: The factors are study condition order (reading, math), proactive and reactive mind-wandering manipulation (yes, no), and lesson target (reading, math, both, neither)
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Mind Wandering Intervention<br>75% of participants will receive proactive and reactive mind-wandering information and redirection. | Behavioral: mind-wandering intervention<br>* Participants in this condition receive a brief introduction to the potential impact of mind-wandering (before learning, proactive), and are redirected to lesson if probe-caught mind-wandering are endorsed (during learning, reactive)<br>|
| Active Comparator: Mind Wandering Comparison<br>25% of participants will receive only mind-wandering redirection, but only at random times. | Behavioral: mind-wandering comparison<br>* Participants in this condition receive no introduction, and only redirection, and the redirection is random, not in reaction to mind-wandering<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Investigator Developed Items Derived From Reading Content Being Taught | Participants will answer multiple choice questions regarding the reading material being taught, and the key index will the raw score number correct. The investigators call the scale Sleep and Dreams (after the content the participant is reading about), and the possible score range will be 0 (min) to 24 (max), with higher scores meaning better comprehension of the material. | administered one time immediately following the single reading learning session on day 1 | 
| Investigator Developed Items Derived From Math Content Being Taught | Participants will answer multiple choice questions regarding the math material being taught, and the key index will the raw score number correct. The investigators call the scale Circles (after the content being taught), and the possible score range will be 0 (min) to 24 (max), with higher scores meaning better comprehension of the material. | adminstered one time immediately following the single math learning session on day 1 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Investigator Developed Probe-Caught Mind-Wandering | During the learning (of the reading and math content), participants are prompted on several occasions as to whether their mind was wandering during the lesson. This is a single item multiple/choice scale (called Probe-Caught Mind Wandering), with the range being 0 (min) to 12 (max), with lower scores indicating the better outcome (less mind wandering) | On 12 occasions interspersed during each of the math and reading learning sessions, on day 1 only. |