Advisor(s)
Dr. Kristie Payment
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
11-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
11-4-2025 12:50 PM
Abstract
Everyday, individuals are faced with tasks that require sustained visual attention. However, distractions are also a part of daily life, and with the increase in technology use came an increase in distractions that may affect concentration and performance on visual tasks. Previous research has examined how task-unrelated visual and auditory stimuli, presented at different intensities, impact functions of learning and memory. However, little research exists on how such distractions might impact an ongoing attention-demanding visual task. The present study used a 2x2 between-subjects design to test the impact of both visual and auditory distractors, presented at either a high or low intensity, on performance during a spot-the-difference task. 110 college students with a mean age of 19 were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. The number of correct differences participants identified out of 24 on a spot-the-difference task was recorded. A significant effect of distractor type was found (p < .05), with visual distractors leading to significantly fewer differences identified during the spot-the-difference task than auditory distractors. This suggests that task-unrelated visual material is more distracting during an ongoing visual task than auditory material. Removing these external stimuli could potentially increase academic performance in students who complete tasks with unrelated visual and auditory stimuli present.
Recommended Citation
Gross, Julia N.; Kloepfer, Julius; Urban, Alexia; and Eversole, Hannah, "Can You Spot the Difference? Impact of Distractor Type and Intensity On Number Of Differences Identified in a Spot-The-Difference Task" (2025). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 79.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2025/Posters/79
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Can You Spot the Difference? Impact of Distractor Type and Intensity On Number Of Differences Identified in a Spot-The-Difference Task
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Everyday, individuals are faced with tasks that require sustained visual attention. However, distractions are also a part of daily life, and with the increase in technology use came an increase in distractions that may affect concentration and performance on visual tasks. Previous research has examined how task-unrelated visual and auditory stimuli, presented at different intensities, impact functions of learning and memory. However, little research exists on how such distractions might impact an ongoing attention-demanding visual task. The present study used a 2x2 between-subjects design to test the impact of both visual and auditory distractors, presented at either a high or low intensity, on performance during a spot-the-difference task. 110 college students with a mean age of 19 were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. The number of correct differences participants identified out of 24 on a spot-the-difference task was recorded. A significant effect of distractor type was found (p < .05), with visual distractors leading to significantly fewer differences identified during the spot-the-difference task than auditory distractors. This suggests that task-unrelated visual material is more distracting during an ongoing visual task than auditory material. Removing these external stimuli could potentially increase academic performance in students who complete tasks with unrelated visual and auditory stimuli present.