Podcast Summary
Understanding the Science of Distraction: Neuroscientist Adam Gazzali discusses the science behind distraction, its impact on memory and focus, and practical strategies for staying focused in a digital world.
Our brains are wired to focus on multiple things at once, but modern digital devices constantly bombard us with distractions, making it difficult to maintain focus. Neuroscientist Adam Gazzali, author of "The Distracted Mind," studied this phenomenon and found that older adults, in particular, have a harder time filtering out irrelevant information, leading to memory lapses. However, this issue is not limited to older adults, as we all face distractions from our digital devices. Gazzali's research collided with the tech world, leading him to expand his work and explore ways to help individuals stay focused. He discusses science-backed strategies for beating distraction and staying focused throughout the day, as well as his work creating prescription video games to help individuals with ADHD and elderly patients. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of understanding the science behind distraction and taking actionable steps to improve focus in our constantly connected world.
Understanding the impact of distractions and multitasking: Distractions, whether external or internal, can hinder our focus and make it harder to accomplish goals. The consequences can be significant, especially as we age.
Distraction and multitasking, whether external or internal, interfere with our ability to focus and accomplish goals. Distraction refers to irrelevant information that we try to ignore, like background noise at a restaurant. Multitasking is the deliberate attempt to engage in more than one task or goal at a time, such as listening to a friend and the waiter at a restaurant. Internal distractions can also arise from our own thoughts, like unresolved conflicts or daydreaming. The brain interprets these distractions as interference, making it harder for us to accomplish our intended goals. The consequences of these distractions can be significant, especially as we age and find it more difficult to filter out irrelevant information. Understanding the science of distraction and multitasking can help us make better decisions about how we interact with information in our environment and within our own minds.
The Disconnect Between Goal Setting and Cognitive Control: Humans excel at setting long-term goals, but cognitive control, including attention and working memory, is not as advanced, leading to a disconnect between our ability to set goals and effectively enact them.
While humans have highly evolved goal-setting abilities, our cognitive control abilities, particularly attention and working memory, are not as advanced. Goal setting, the ability to create long-term, interconnected goals, is considered the pinnacle of human brain development and has led to the creation of civilization, culture, language, technology, and art. However, achieving these goals requires the effective use of cognitive control, including attention and working memory. Attention is the ability to direct our mental resources where we want them, but it also involves ignoring irrelevant information. This requires work and involves two distinct brain networks. The first network is responsible for focus, while the second network handles suppression and ignoring of irrelevant information. Despite the importance of cognitive control, it is not as evolved as goal setting, leading to a disconnect between our ability to set goals and our ability to effectively enact them.
Understanding the Complexity of Attention: Attention involves focusing on relevant info and ignoring irrelevant, requiring resources and different neural networks. Sustaining focus is crucial. Two types: top-down (goal-driven) and bottom-up (environment-driven). Tech notifications can disrupt focus. Aging affects attention, with neural network becoming less robust.
Attention is a complex cognitive process that involves both focusing on relevant information and ignoring irrelevant information, which requires active resources and different neural networks in the brain. The ability to sustain focus over time is also crucial. Two main types of attention are top-down (goal-directed) and bottom-up (environment-driven), with bottom-up attention being more evolutionarily ancient and essential for survival. However, technology, particularly notifications, can shift the balance towards bottom-up attention, making it harder to sustain focus. The aging process also affects attention, as the neural network that suppresses irrelevant information becomes less robust, leading to over-processing and degradation of relevant information.
Using technology to enhance attention and cognitive abilities in older adults: Neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley pivoted his research from reporting negative effects of technology to creating tech interventions to enhance attention and cognitive control in older adults. In 2008, he developed NeuroRacer, a multitasking video game to challenge older adults, offering a promising alternative to traditional methods.
Instead of focusing solely on the negative effects of technology on attention and cognitive abilities, particularly in older adults, it's important to explore how technology can be used to enhance these abilities. In the mid 2000s, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley realized that reporting the bad news was unsatisfying and depressing for audiences experiencing these issues. He pivoted his research to developing technology that could deliver a consistent, reproducible, and targeted experiential intervention to enhance attention and cognitive control. In 2008, he collaborated with game developers at LucasArts to create NeuroRacer, a multitasking video game designed to challenge older adults in a closed loop system. This approach, using technology to deliver a consistent and targeted experience, offers a promising alternative to traditional methods like pharmaceuticals and education, which can be inconsistently delivered.
Neuroscience of Technology-induced Multitasking: Neuroscientific research shows that while technology-induced multitasking can negatively impact cognitive abilities, targeted training can improve focus, even in distracting environments. Understanding the brain's response to novel information can help design technology to minimize distractions.
Technology-induced multitasking can negatively impact cognitive abilities like attention and working memory, especially in older adults. However, neuroscientific research has shown that targeted training can improve these abilities, even in distracting environments. The optimal foraging theory from biology explains why we find digital technology so distracting – it offers constant access to novel information, which our brains are wired to prioritize over sustained focus. Despite the challenges, understanding these neuroscientific principles can help us design technology to mitigate distractions and improve focus. For younger generations, it's essential to be aware of the potential drawbacks of technology use and make informed choices to minimize distractions and maintain focus on important tasks.
Understanding Brain's Information Foraging Behavior: The human brain seeks information using ancient reward systems, and technology's easy access to information has significantly changed our consumption habits, with benefits and drawbacks.
Our brains, specifically the human brain, have adopted ancient reward systems to drive us to seek information much like animals forage for food. This behavior can be understood through the lens of optimal foraging theory, particularly the marginal value theorem. This theory describes the cost-benefit ratio of remaining in a current information source versus switching to a new one, which is particularly relevant in today's technology-driven world where information exists in patches and switching costs are minimal. Companies and app developers may or may not be aware of these brain functions when designing technology to improve cognitive abilities, but the ease of access to information through technology has undeniably changed the way we consume information, often leading to both benefits and negative consequences.
Our brain's reward system fuels technology addiction: Understand your brain's response to technology, make informed decisions, and use tech to enhance humanity, not detract from it.
Our relationship with technology, particularly digital information, is deeply rooted in our ancient brain's reward system. This system, which drives us to explore new environments and seek novelty, is the underlying engine of technology addiction. It's not about specific features that keep us engaged or disengaged, but rather the random reward cycle that keeps us coming back. Given this understanding, those feeling overwhelmed by technology should take control by making informed decisions based on an awareness of their brain and technology's impact on behavior. It's not about abandoning technology, but rather using it in a way that enhances our humanity instead of detracting from it. Two factors that influence this decision are the accessibility of new sources of information and the cost of switching to a new source. By recognizing these influences and making conscious choices, we can live healthier lives and maintain control over our technology use.
Increase focus by limiting distractions and decreasing ease of access to other sources: Practice managing distractions and anxiety through techniques like taking breaks, engaging in light exercise, or mindfulness meditation to effectively increase focus and productivity
The value of remaining focused on a single source of information diminishes rapidly due to factors like boredom and anxiety. These feelings are exacerbated by the easy accessibility of new sources of information. To combat this, individuals can increase the accessibility of their current task by limiting distractions and decreasing the ease of access to other sources. Additionally, they can practice managing boredom and anxiety through techniques like taking breaks, engaging in light exercise, or mindfulness meditation. However, it's important to note that these strategies require consistent practice and dedication to effectively increase focus and productivity.
Being aware of your attention limitations and recognizing unproductive sources can help improve focus.: Recognizing the need to focus and limiting distractions can lead to better productivity and improved cognitive abilities, with potential new tools like video games being developed to aid in this process.
Being aware of your limitations in focusing your attention and the cost of constantly switching between information sources is crucial for making a change towards improving your focus. Realizing the repetitiveness and lack of usefulness or interest in certain sources can help reduce the urge to constantly switch. The field of medicognition emphasizes this awareness as a critical step towards making a change, but it's not enough on its own. Having a plan and strategy to enact the change is also necessary. Researchers at Neuroscape are developing video games, such as Evo, to help improve sustained attention and working memory, particularly for young individuals with ADHD. This game, which is currently in a phase three FDA trial, could potentially become the first non-drug treatment for ADHD if proven effective. The ultimate goal is to provide clinical tools, as well as wellness and education resources, to help build the underlying information processing systems in young developing brains.
Research at UCSF on digital medicines: UCSF is developing digital medicines that can be prescribed, reimbursed, and considered digital treatments, using technology to improve cognitive function and mental health.
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare, particularly in the form of digital medicines. Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is leading the charge in this area through his research and the companies he's founded. At UCSF, they're developing digital medicines that can be prescribed by doctors, reimbursed by insurance, and considered digital treatments as opposed to molecular ones. For more information on Dr. Gazzaley's work, you can visit the Neuroscape website at neuroscape.ucsf.edu or check out The Killie Interactive's site at TheKillieInteractive.com. These resources will provide updates on their research and the progress of their digital games, which are designed to improve cognitive function and mental health. Overall, the intersection of technology and healthcare is an exciting area to watch, and Dr. Gazzaley's work is at the forefront of this movement.
