Continuous Partial Attention

I am writing this post on the third floor of the RIT Wallace Library. The third floor has been dubbed a "quiet floor" where talking and noise is discouraged so other inhabitants of the space will not be distracted from whatever task they may be attempting to complete. The sea-green carpet helps muffle what faint talking may be heard from my seat, and the sunlight outside the windows is obstructed by black mesh pull-down shades. 

I consistently get much more work done here on the third floor than I do at home in my apartment. It isn't a surprising fact when you consider all of the distractions at home, which are removed at the library. The three guys I live with aren't around to interrupt, or blast music from their rooms, or clang together pots and pans while they attempt to cook a meal (and by "cook a meal" I mean "boil water for Ramen") When I come to the library to work, I'm not trying to do more than one task. I am focused on one thing: get my work done. I'm not listening to music while I write, or talking on the phone while I try to solve a calculus problem.

So why then, is it so hard to give my full attention to something in a normal environment? If I can be productive in the library, why can't I do the same in my apartment, or even in a classroom for that matter? The answer is something called continuous partial attention (CPA). In an article in Businessweek, Linda Stone offers some information on what continuous partial attention is, and why it is becoming more common in society.

"We're motivated by a desire not to miss anything" she explains. "There's a kind of vigilance that is not characteristic of multi-tasking. With continuous partial attention, we feel most alive when we're connected, plugged in and in the know. We constantly scan for opportunities - activities or people - in any given moment."

Continuous partial attention is the red-headed step-child of multi-tasking. They are related, but are far from the same. The core difference between CPA and multi-tasking lies in motivation. Most people multi-task in an effort to be more productive, while continuous partial attention is driven by that fear of missing something. Think of how many times a day you check your email, or look at your cell phone for missed calls or text messages. It is most likely an absurd number of times, which in all actuality isn't necessary. 

CPA is motivated by a desire to be connected, weather it be to the internet, the phone, instant message, text message, email, or chat. These connections do little to boost productivity, even though it might seem that they would. Being connected and continuously available by all of the means mentioned above only serves to distract an individual from a task, and does not enhance their performance or productivity.

I wanted to learn more about continuous partial attention, so I did some digging and came across a podcast in which Linda Stone speaks at length about the subject. Within her talk, Stone points out that CPA can lead to some serious side effects including over-stimulation and excess stress. Being so "plugged in" as a generation, with cell phones at our hips and laptops at our sides, has lead us to be more fearful and worried than we would be without these distractions. 

According to Stone, "continuous partial attention and the fight or flight response associated with it sets off a cascade of stress hormones, starting with norepinephrine and its companion, cortisol. As a hormone, cortisol is a universal donor. It can attach to any receptor site. As a result, dopamine and serotonin, the hormones that help us feel calm and happy, have nowhere to go because cortisol has taken up the available spaces."

Yikes.

I knew that doing work in the library, where there are minimal distractions, was helping my productivity, but I had no idea it could be helping me be less stressed as well.

To listen to Linda Stone's speech on CPA, go HERE.