An Experimental Study on the Effect of Short-term Airflow on Concentration during Intellectual Work

Abstract

In today’s information society, the efficiency of intellectual work, referred to as intellectual productivity, is highly valued. There is an observed tendency for intellectual concentration to decrease over time, leading to many studies related to the benefits of short breaks during tasks. Some research defines breaks lasting no longer than 10 minutes as “micro-breaks” and suggests their positive effect on performance [1]. There is also a study on “micro-refresh,” which encourages workers to refresh during 20-second pauses given every 7 minutes and 30 seconds of task time [2].However, in these studies, workers are compelled to take breaks. There is a possibility that these breaks interrupt concentration, especially when they are in a state of high concentration. In addition, taking breaks that are too long or too short than needed can decrease work efficiency. To effectively recover concentration, individuals should take an appropriate length of breaks based on their respective needs.Therefore, in this study, we aimed to encourage self-determined refreshment during tasks to improve intellectual productivity, which few studies have tried to. As a method to induce refreshment spontaneously, we used airflow stimulation. Airflow is known to have a relaxation effect. For example, a study showed simulated natural wind decreases mental stress compared to a windless condition [3]. Thus, airflow stimulation is expected to induce a relaxed state, allowing for a refreshed state when returning to tasks. To confirm the effect of this short-time airflow on intellectual productivity, we conducted an evaluation experiment.In this experiment, a quantitative evaluation was conducted using CTR (Concentration Time Ratio), an intellectual concentration index calculated from response time data for a comparison problem developed by Ueda et al [4]. As for the design of airflow stimulation, a tabletop fan was placed behind the iPad used for the task to expose airflow towards each participant’s hands. The task duration was 45 minutes per set, with a 20-second airflow exposed every 7.5 minutes under conditions with airflow. Each participant performed tasks under both conditions, with and without airflow, in different sets, and the difference in intellectual concentration was measured using CTR. In addition, in each set, we conducted several surveys asking participants about subjective fatigue, mental workload, and so on. Participants were also asked about their impressions of airflow after the experiment.7 university students participated in this experiment, and as a result, 4 participants had a higher CTR, while 3 participants had a lower CTR under conditions with airflow. Each participant’s response time data and descriptive survey suggested a possibility that participants who were distracted by airflow showed a decrease in CTR, while those prompted to refresh showed an improvement. In addition, 6 participants answered they preferred airflow at a higher frequency, and 6 participants answered they preferred airflow with longer exposure times, suggesting that the interval and duration of airflow should be modified in further studies. Reference:[1] Patricia Albulescu et al.; PLOS ONE, 17-8 (2022).[2] Kakeru Kitayama et al.; Proceedings of the 2023 Intelligent Human Systems Integration, AHFE International, USA, 2023.[3] Kenichi Ito et al.; 2023 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), Shanghai, China, 2023, pp. 215-225.[4] Kimi Ueda et al.; The Fifth International Conference on Human-Environment System, 2016.

Keywords: Intellectual Concentration, Intellectual Productivity, Office Environment

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004943