Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 345 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0345, USA.
Mem Cognit. 2021 Aug;49(6):1247-1266. doi: 10.3758/s13421-021-01156-3. Epub 2021 Apr 22.
This study investigated what academic traits, attitudes, and habits predict individual differences in task-unrelated thought (TUT) during lectures, and whether this TUT propensity mediates associations between academic individual differences and course outcomes (final grade and situational interest evoked by material). Undergraduates (N = 851) from ten psychology classes at two US universities responded to thought probes presented during two early-course lectures; they also indicated sitting in the front, middle, or back of the classroom. At each probe, students categorized their thought content, such as indicating on-task thought or TUT. Students also completed online, academic-self-report questionnaires at the beginning of the course and a situational interest questionnaire at the end. Average TUT rate was 24% but individuals' rates varied widely (SD = 18%). TUT rates also increased substantially from the front to back of the classroom, and modestly from the first to second half of class periods. Multiple-group analyses (with ten classroom groups) indicated that: (a) classroom media-multitasking habits, initial interest in the course topic, and everyday propensity for mind-wandering and boredom accounted for unique variance in TUT rate (beyond other predictors); (b) TUT rate accounted for unique (modest) variance in course grades and situational interest; and (c) classroom media multitasking and propensity for mind-wandering and boredom had indirect associations with course grades via TUT rate, and these predictor variables, along with initial interest, had indirect associations with end-of-term situational interest via TUT rate. Some academic traits and behaviors predict course outcomes in part because they predict off-task thought during class.
这项研究调查了哪些学术特质、态度和习惯可以预测在讲座期间与任务无关的思维（TUT）的个体差异，以及这种 TUT 倾向是否可以调节学术个体差异与课程成果（最终成绩和材料引起的情境兴趣）之间的关联。来自美国两所大学的十门心理学课程的大学生（N=851）在两个早期课程的讲座中回答了思维探针；他们还表明自己坐在教室的前排、中间或后排。在每个探针中，学生都会对他们的思维内容进行分类，例如判断是否是与任务相关的思维或 TUT。学生还在课程开始时在线完成学术自我报告问卷，并在课程结束时完成情境兴趣问卷。平均 TUT 率为 24%，但个体之间的差异很大（SD=18%）。TUT 率也从前排到后排有很大的增加，从第一节课到后半节课略有增加。多组分析（十个班级）表明：（a）课堂多媒体多任务处理习惯、对课程主题的初始兴趣以及日常的走神和无聊倾向解释了 TUT 率的独特差异（超出其他预测因素）；（b）TUT 率解释了课程成绩和情境兴趣的独特（适度）差异；（c）课堂多媒体多任务处理和走神倾向通过 TUT 率与课程成绩有间接关联，这些预测变量以及初始兴趣通过 TUT 率与课程结束时的情境兴趣有间接关联。一些学术特质和行为可以在一定程度上预测课程成果，因为它们可以预测课堂上的非任务思维。
