Attention is a key contributor to effective learning and academic performance in the classroom. This means it’s key for teachers to have a deep understanding of factors affecting attentiveness, and to use this knowledge to enhance students’ focus.
One concept that influences students’ attentiveness is that of “attention contagion”. So, in this blog we will look at:
- What attention contagion is
- How proximity affects attention contagion
- How attention contagion spreads (in)attention
- Practical ways to enhance attentiveness using attention contagion
What is Attention Contagion?
Attention contagion refers to the idea that attention (and inattention) can spread among students within the same learning environment. This means that how focused and attentive one student is can affect the concentration levels of other students in class.
One fascinating study investigated the effects of attention contagion by getting students to watch a lecture video. Crucially, some students sat behind somebody who was paying attention, whilst others were sat behind someone who was inattentive. These attentive/inattentive partners were labelled as “confederates”. Let’s look at some of the main findings of the study:
- Improved focus – Students sat behind attentive confederates self-reported higher levels of attentiveness during the lecture than students sat behind inattentive.
- Better classroom behaviour – When watching the lecture behind someone attentive, researchers observed that students paid more attention, fidgeted less, and displayed less sleepiness.
- More note taking – Students in the attentive-confederate condition took more lecture notes than those in the inattentive-confederate condition.
- Higher test scores – Comparing scores from a quiz testing knowledge from the lecture, students fared better when they sat behind an attentive confederate.
In a second experiment, the researchers again got students to watch a lecture. This time, however, they made students sit in front of a confederate that was either attentive or inattentive. Even though the students could not visually observe the behaviour of the confederate, they still had the same positive benefits as in the first experiment. It seems like the mere presence of someone paying attention was enough to increase students’ concentration levels.
How does proximity affect Attention Contagion?
In another study on attention contagion, researchers investigated whether the strength of the attention contagion effect changed as the proximity between individuals varied. So, what did the study find? Students who sat near inattentive confederates reported lower levels of attention, produced fewer pages of notes, and performed significantly worse on a post-lecture quiz. This effect was most obvious for students who had inattentive confederates next to them, compared to those with confederates behind and in front of them.
This suggests that the attention contagion effect strengthens as proximity decreases. That is, students will find it harder to focus in class when they sit closer to inattentive classmates.
How does Attention Contagion spread (in)attention?
There are several proposed ways in which attention contagion spreads. These include:
1. Distraction
Inattentive students are more likely to engage in off-task behaviours, such as fidgeting and the use of mobile phones. When other students observe these behaviours, they can get distracted, which diverts their attention away from classroom content. Additionally, attempts to ignore these distractions require effort and energy that could otherwise have been used to more effectively process learning material.
2. Perceived importance of lesson material
Research suggests that observing others’ (in)attention in class serves as an indicator as to how important classroom material is. When students observe peers paying attention, they evaluate the lesson to be important and increase their focus accordingly. On the flip side, when students observe inattentive peers, they might think that the lesson is unimportant and consequently pay less attention in class.
Enhancing attentiveness with Attention Contagion
Now that we have thoroughly introduced the concept of attention contagion, here are some suggestions as to how you can use it to enhance your students’ attention in class:
- Prohibit the use of mobile phones – Removing students’ access to devices reduces opportunities for distractions which may go on to affect other classmates.
- Use of seating plans – Take advantage of the proximity effect by placing attentive students around inattentive students.
- Ensure lessons are challenging, but not overwhelming – Retain students’ attention by preventing cognitive overload from happening. For example, breaking up explanations into chunks could help students better cope with new material.
Final thoughts
Attention contagion can be viewed as a doubled-edged sword. On the one hand, it can spread attention across the classroom and guide more effective learning amongst students. On the other hand, when a student’s inattention is not properly managed attention contagion can disrupt the learning environment. Knowing about this may just be the key to unlocking student focus and attention.
