RUcore Resource Object
RUcore Resource Object
PDF-1(949.83 KB)
TitleThe benefit of distractions
NameStein, Lyra Michelle (author), Aiello, John (chair), Wilder, David (internal member), Contrada, Richard (internal member), Phillips, Jean (outside member), Rutgers University, Graduate School - New Brunswick,
Degree Date2012-05
Date Created2012
SubjectPsychology,
Group facilitation,
Distraction (Psychology) ,
Attention--Testing,
Boredom
DescriptionThe present study sought to test a cognitive capacity explanation of the distraction-conflict theory of social facilitation (Baron, 1986). Introverts and extraverts performed a sustained attention to response task and a word-pair task. Participants performed these tasks in the presence of social distractions (coactor and evaluator) and non-social distractions (low and high complexity music) to determine if performance in the difference conditions was moderated by extraversion. In addition, this study proposed that the mediators of the moderated relationship between condition and extraversion would be boredom and mind-wandering. Results indicate that extraverts need more outside stimulation to achieve performance facilitation than introverts. Introverts, on the other hand, showed performance impairment when over stimulated. When performance was facilitated, the amount of task unrelated thoughts decreased, whereas when performance was impaired, task unrelated thoughts increased. Theses results support a cognitive capacity explanation for the distraction-conflict theory of social facilitation.
NotePh. D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Lyra Michelle Stein
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttp://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.1/rucore10001600001.ETD.000065268
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.