Christopher, Deven M.

Deciding what information we attend to has implications on our ability to remain
valuable and productive in our respective academic and economic domains. This study
investigated if attentional switching due to information technology interruptions would
deplete resources in a unique way and impair performance on a response inhibition task.
Three groups were compared on the Simon task after participants either did or did not
receive interruptions during a self-regulation task. Unexpectedly, a larger Simon effect
was found for participants who did not receive interruptions.
These results conform to previous evidence showing sustained directed attention
may result in depletion and effect subsequent inhibitory control. Although not supporting
predictions, these results may provide a basis for further research, particularly because
younger generations are developing in a more connected world than preceding
generations. By understanding these differences, younger generations may better adapt to
technological advances and leverage them to their advantage.