Background: The accurate recollection of one's prior attentional states could be functional for guiding how attention should be directed in the future, especially if the recalled states were temporally specific (i.e., of a particular moment in time). However, little is currently known about the extent to which people have memories of the specific moment-to-moment fluctuations in their previous attentional experiences.

Our work: We have implemented a technique called video-stimulated recall to capture retrospective accounts of individuals' previous attentional experiences, which we then compare to their in-the-moment reports of attention. We use an analysis technique called cross-correlation to statistically compare the temporal overlap between the video-stimulated and in-the-moment reports of attention. 

Through this work, we have found that individuals do have temporally accurate memories for their prior attentional states, including attentional engagement (Pereira*, Ayers-Glassey* et al., 2024) and mind wandering (Ayers-Glassey et al., 2025). We are currently investigating other characteristics of these memories, including individuals' confidence in the accuracy of their recollections (Pereira et al., in prep) and the degree to which they degrade over time (Ayers-Glassey et al., in prep).

Background: Video-mediated communication (VMC) has become a common platform for communicating in our everyday lives (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams, FaceTime). Oftentimes this setup involves an individual being able to see an audiovisual stream of their communication partner(s) plus a visual playback of their own video (i.e., self-video) in real time. Unlike in typical face-to-face communication, the presence of this self-video may lead to one's attention being divided between their communication partner and their own self-perception. Typically, there is an option built into VMC platforms allowing individuals to turn off their self-video (and the projection of this video to their communication partner) and to instead display their initials (e.g., 'SA').

Our work: We created a researcher-controlled VMC platform on which participants could interact one-on-one with their communication partner's video and either their self-video or their initials displayed. Using this, we are investigating how participants' perceived (self-reported) attention and actual (behavioural) attention shift between their own video/initials and their partner's video, as well as how the presence of a self-video might impact recollection of conversation content (Ayers-Glassey et al., in prep).

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is partially defined as a disorder of sustained attention, yet it remains unclear whether symptoms and/or diagnosis of ADHD are consistently related to poor sustained attention. Additionally, this relation between ADHD and sustained attention has predominantly been approached from a task-performance point of view; the relation between perceived (i.e., self-reported) sustained attention and ADHD has yet to be evaluated in-depth.

Our work: We are investigating (i) the unique contributions of ADHD and time-on-task (main effects) and (ii) their interaction when predicting both perceived attention (self-report) and task performance (behaviour) during the computerized Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). We are conducting this from both a symptom and diagnosis perspective (Ayers-Glassey et al., in prep).

Background: Many social media platforms involve an endless-scroll feature, wherein content is presented via a continuous and uninterrupted scrolling feed. This endless-scroll feature is believed to contribute to a more immersive experience for users than typical paginated setups, possibly leading to more enjoyable flow states and/or more difficulty in regulating one's consumption.

Our work: We are exploring individuals' behaviours and self-reported experiences while scrolling on Instagram.