Aranza-Rivera Concentration (ARC) Test

Shelemiah A. Aranza | Arianne Camille L. RiveraPsychology 162

R A T I O N A L E • The ability to concentrate even with the existence

of external distraction, pressure or boredom will have to take practice and self-discipline.

• This test aims to measure the concentration level of an individual despite the interference of external factors such as noise and time pressure.

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• Theoretical frameworkInattentional Deafness refers to “the partial unawareness of the presence of such an aberrant auditory stimulus (J.D. Blom, 2010).”

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THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• Conceptual Framework

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THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• Participants– 10 respondents– 16-21 years old– studying in Universities in Manila

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M e t h o d o l o g y

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• Measures– Bender-Gestalt Test– Aranza-Rivera Concentration (ARC) Test– Online Concentration & Focus Skills Test

M e t h o d o l o g y

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• Materials– online computer game– pen– scoring sheet– timer

M e t h o d o l o g y

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The ARC test requires any online computer game wherein players must search for hidden objects. For the observers, they need a basketball, a pen, scoring sheet and a timer.

•Procedure1. In a quiet room with only the participant and the two

researchers, the participant will be asked to concentrate on a picture and try to look for what is wrong in it.

2. At the back of the room, a researcher will wait for 30 seconds and will dribble a ball five times, not loud enough to see if it will distract the participant. The other researcher will be sitting in front of the participant to observe if he/she will flinch or will take his/her eyes off the picture.

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3. Still at the back of the room, a researcher will wait for another 15 seconds and will dribble a ball five times, but this time she will dribble louder. Again, the other researcher will observe the participant.

4. After another 15 seconds, a researcher will move to the far side of the participant and will dribble the ball five times with the same noise level as before. The other researcher will observe.

5. After another 15 seconds, a researcher will move in front of the participant and do the same dribbling while the other researcher observes.

6. Lastly, a researcher will fake and pass the ball near the participant’s seat while the other researcher will observe the participant.

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• Scoring– Each place where the researcher will dribble represents

the level of concentration of the participant.– The observer will mark (o) if the participant glanced or

told the researcher that she is distracting him or her. One point will be deducted from the final score of five for each (o) mark.

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M e t h o d o l o g y

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• Scoring– If the participant was totally distracted to the point of

stopping his or her task, the observer will mark the level with an (x). Two points will be deducted from the final score for each (x) mark.

– The higher the intensity of the noise that the participant* ignored, the higher is his or her concentration level.

*given that the subject has no minimal brain damage

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• Validity• The proponents used the correlation validity scale.

Scale wherein the results of the newly developed test are correlated with the results of an existing validated test. The results of the ARC test is slightly correlated with the results of the Concentration and Focus Skills test making it valid.

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M e t h o d o l o g y•Validity

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• Reliability– Using the Inter-rater reliability test the two

researchers compared their observations of the participant’s scores on the ARC test.

– 90% reliability

M e t h o d o l o g y

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M e t h o d o l o g y1 2 3 4 5

1 o 92 o o 83 104 105 o o 86 107 108 o 99 10

10 10

Respondent #Level #

Score1 2 3 4 5

1 o 92 o o 83 104 105 o o 86 107 108 o 99 10

10 o 9

Level #Respondent # Score

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A P P L I C A T I O N

• ARC test can be used by anyone who desires to evaluate another person’s concentration level using only simple materials that can be easily found at home such as online computer games and a ball.