Table A2.
Study | Experimental attention task or measure | Participants |
Findings | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CWS | CWNS | Age range (years;months) | |||
Bush (2006) | • Frequency and latency of looks away from the computer monitor during narratives | 15 | 17 | 3;0–5;7 | • CWS exhibited slower and less frequent looks away from stimuli compared with CWNS. |
• Frequency and latency of off-topic statements during narratives | • No group differences were found in frequency of or latency to first off-topic statements. | ||||
Eggers et al. (2012) | Performance on a computerized Attention Network Test a | 41 | 41 | 4;0–9;0 | • CWS exhibited lower orienting network scores compared with CWNS. |
• No group differences were found for the alerting or executive control networks. | |||||
Johnson et al. (2012) | Speed and accuracy of nonspeech reaction time (i.e., button pushing) during traditional and affect-cueing tasks b | 12 | 12 | 3;0–5;11 | No group differences were found. |
Ntourou et al. (2013) | Frequency of distraction behaviors c | 18 | 18 | 3;0–5;11 | No group differences were found. |
Schwenk et al. (2007) | • Frequency and duration of attention shifts from task to camera movements | 18 | 18 | 3;0–5;11 | • CWS exhibited a greater frequency of looks per camera movements. |
• Latency of attention shifts (i.e., reaction time) between onset of camera movement and onset of attention shift to look at the camera | • No group differences were found in duration of looks (attention shifts) at the camera following its movement. | ||||
• CWS exhibited slower reaction times compared with CWNS. |
The Attention Network Test (Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz, & Posner, 2002) is a computerized instrument designed to measure the attentional networks of “alerting, orienting, and executive control in adults and in children” (Eggers et al., 2012, p. 947).
Both traditional and affect-cueing tasks require “disengaging attention from focal point, shifting attention to [un]cued location, and [re]engaging attention to stimulus” (Johnson et al., 2012, p. 265). However, affect-cueing tasks immediately follow instructions designed to influence participants' emotionality. For further review, see Johnson et al. (2012).
Distraction behaviors were defined as “the diversion of attention to something other than the … [experimental] tasks” (Ntourou et al., 2013, p. 266).