When a person focuses on one set of information being processed but \u00a0doe not focus enough attention on the other, is know as selective attention. on the other information. Thus, doodling is likely helpful only if is automatic, meaning that it takes relatively little cognitive effort. As doodling becomes less and less automatic and more effortful,\u00a0 doodlers would not be as focused on the important task of listening. In the doodling study, participants shaded versus free-doodled to make doodling more effortless. If the participants were free doodling, then they might be too concerned about having their doodles judged which might prevent them from doodling effortlessly.<\/p>\n
Other effortless tasks, such as twirling a pencil under the table or eating a snack, could be helpful like doodling. Something effortful, like texting, would likely be detrimental to listening because it is using too many cognitive resources. Doodling is probably one of the best ways to occupy extra mental space when listening because as a study by Allport, Anthonis, and Reynolds (1972) found, we are better at processing visual and auditory information simultaneously than lots of visual information or lots of audible information. The visual information from the doodles can be processed simultaneously with either the taped recording of who is coming to the party or Ms. Barry\u2019s voice to actually increase memory for the information heard.<\/ins>\u00a0 Therefore if you are feeling your mind wander during a class, it might be worth doodling a swirl in the corner of your notebook. I know that it helped me to pay attention and draw better conclusions through fifth grade, and beyond<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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