A New Mobile App to Train Attention Processes in People With Traumatic Brain Injury: Logical and Ecological Content...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neurorehabilitation
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Attention deficits significantly impact cognitive function and safety, often resulting from neurodevelopmental or acquired disorders.
• Theoretical models, such as Sohlberg and Mateer's hierarchical model for attention and Baer's model for mindfulness, guide interventions.
• Mobile applications offer a practical platform for daily mindfulness practice and attention training, facilitating skill transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the logical content validity and ecological content validity of the Focusing mobile application.
• To determine if the app's exercises align with established theoretical models of attention and mindfulness.
• To evaluate user-perceived usability, relevance, satisfaction, quality, attractiveness, and cognitive load.

Main Methods:

• Logical content validity was established through expert review (neuropsychology, mindfulness) using online questionnaires and a focus group.
• Ecological content validity involved 10 healthy adults assessing usability, relevance, satisfaction, quality, attractiveness, and cognitive load via online questionnaires.
• The Mobile Application Rating Scale and AttrakDiff questionnaire were employed for quality and attractiveness assessments.

Main Results:

• High content validity index (CVI) was achieved for the app's exercises, aligning well with attention and mindfulness models.
• Two exercises required modification or removal based on expert feedback, with the rest showing excellent validity.
• Ecological validation indicated adequate workload, quality, user experience, satisfaction, and relevance, with good attractiveness ratings.

Conclusions:

• The Focusing app exhibits strong theoretical validity, supported by high expert and user agreement.
• The app is a promising, validated tool for attention training, particularly for individuals recovering from neurological insults like traumatic brain injury.