Human Capacity in the Attention Economy

Our endless use of smartphones, unbridled internet access, and the ubiquity of applications on these platforms has affected the ways we think, feel, and behave. Setting aside issues of goodness or harmfulness of the internet and related technologies, chapters in this edited volume investigate the impact of technology through the lens of human capacity.

Each chapter considers a different aspect of the ways in which humans, with limited information processing capabilities, interact with an almost infinite informational environment. The authors examine what makes these technologies so addictive, their effect on emotional well-being, memory, and learning, and their impact on our ability to engage in important daily activities, like driving a car. Other contributors discuss how to replenish depleted cognitive reserves, and offer recommendations to help us chart a way forward in today’s attention economy.

Contributors

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Paul Atchley and Sean Lane

• Chapter 1. A General Framework for Understanding the Impact of Information Technology on Human Experience
  Paul Atchley, Sean Lane, and Kacie Mennie

Part I. How Information Technology Influences Behavior and Emotion

• Chapter 2. Digital Distraction: What Makes the Internet and Smartphone So Addictive?
  David N. Greenfield
• Chapter 3. Information Technology and Its Impact on Emotional Well-Being
  Steven G. Greening, Kacie Mennie, and Sean Lane

Part II. How Information Technology Influences Cognition and Performance

• Chapter 4. Information Technology and Learning Kevin Yee
• Chapter 5. "Say Cheese!": How Taking and Viewing Photos Can Shape Memory and Cognition
  Linda A. Henkel, Robert A. Nash, and Justin A. Paton
• Chapter 6. The Multitasking Motorist and the Attention Economy
  David L. Strayer, Douglas Getty, Francesco Biondi, and Joel M. Cooper

Part III. Getting Away and Looking Forward

• Chapter 7. How Nature Helps Replenish Our Depleted Cognitive Reserves and Improves Mood by Increasing Activation of the Brain’s Default Mode Network
  Rachel J. Hopman, Ruth Ann Atchley, Paul Atchley, and David L. Strayer
• Chapter 8. Charting a Way Forward: Navigating the Attention Economy
  Sean Lane, Paul Atchley, and Kacie Mennie

Index

About the Editors

Sean Lane, PhD, is professor of psychology and dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Dr. Lane’s research examines the mechanisms underlying learning and memory, and how these mechanisms influence behavior in complex real-world settings. He previously worked in the technology industry in the area of user experience and human factors.

Dr. Lane has worked to further the productive interaction between basic and applied research, including serving on the governing board of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC), and as associate editor of Applied Cognitive Psychology. He received his PhD from Kent State University.

Paul Atchley, PhD, is currently on faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Dr. Atchley has been conducting research and teaching about cognitive factors related to driving for more than 25 years. He received his PhD from the University of California, Riverside in 1996 and completed postdoctoral training at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois in 1998.

Dr. Atchley has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on issues of vision and attention, including their relationship to driving. He also has received awards for his service, research, teaching, and student advising.

Dr. Atchley’s work has been highlighted by national and international press, such as the BBC, NPR, Time, and the New York Times. He is part of efforts and the state and national level to reduce distracted driving.