Attention and Achievement: A Mind Wandering Investigation

University of Houston

Status: Completed

Conditions: Attention Disturbances

Treatments: Behavioral: mind-wandering comparison; Behavioral: mind-wandering intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05296252

00000568

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study assesses the impact of mind-wandering on reading and math.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 53 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 11 to 15 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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53 participants in 2 patient groups

Mind Wandering Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

75% of participants will receive proactive and reactive mind-wandering information and redirection.

Treatment:

Behavioral: mind-wandering intervention

Mind Wandering Comparison

Active Comparator group

Description:

25% of participants will receive only mind-wandering redirection, but only at random times.

Treatment:

Behavioral: mind-wandering comparison