IN a cafe recently, I found myself jolted from deep focus by the familiar ping of a smartphone notification (mine, thankfully, has been turned off since 2017). Instantly, my attention was diverted away from my work.
The ping (or sometimes a shrilly sound) reminded me of Ivan Pavlov’s bell in his famous conditioning study with his dog. The connection was uncanny – we had become conditioned to respond to that sound, much like Pavlov’s dog salivated at the ringing bell.
Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiment, conducted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, demonstrated the power of conditioned responses.
Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, was investigating the digestive system and, more specifically, the salivary reflex in dogs at the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St Petersburg.
Pavlov noticed that the dogs began to salivate, not only when food was presented to them but also when they saw the lab assistant who fed them. Intrigued by this observation, Pavlov designed an experiment to explore this phenomenon further.
He trained a dog to associate the sound of a bell with the arrival of food. Over time, he consistently paired the sound of a bell (a neutral stimulus) with the presentation of food (an unconditioned stimulus), which naturally produced salivation (an unconditioned response).
After several repetitions, the dog began to salivate at the mere sound of
the bell, even in the absence of food. This “learned” response to a previously neutral stimulus is known as a conditioned response, an important element of the classical conditioning theory.
Fast forward to today, our smartphones have become ubiquitous, constantly vying for our attention with a symphony of pings, dings and buzzes. Each notification, like Pavlov’s bell, triggers an almost reflexive response. We are instantly drawn to our screens, compelled to check for messages, updates or alerts, often without a moment’s thought.
The conditioning is so pervasive that we have come to expect these interruptions as part of our daily lives. But unlike Pavlov’s dog, whose response was a simple biological reaction, our conditioned response to smartphone notifications has far-reaching implications. It affects our productivity, mental well-being and ability to focus on the task at hand.
Consider this: How many times have you found yourself in the middle of an important task, only to be disrupted by a notification? This brief distraction can break your concentration and derail your productivity.
According to a study cited by Clockify, employees lose approximately 720 hours annually due to distractions, which equates to significant financial losses for businesses. This highlights the pervasive nature of distractions and their detrimental effects on productivity.
So, what can we do about it? According to Assoc Prof Dr Azmawaty Mohamad Nor, deputy dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Faculty of Education in Universiti Malaya, who is also a member of the Malaysian Board
of Counsellors, the answer lies in reclaiming control over our devices and treating our phones as the tools they were meant to be, rather than letting them control us.
“Firstly, set your boundaries by establishing specific times when you check your phone and stick to them. And turn off non-essential notifications to reduce interruptions.
“Secondly, learn to focus on the task at hand. When working on something important, put your phone on silent
or airplane mode. Create a focused environment free from digital distractions.
“Thirdly, practise mindfulness and awareness. Be conscious of your response to notifications. Pause and consider whether it is necessary to check your phone immediately or if it can wait.
“And finally, consider detoxing yourself digitally every now and then by taking regular breaks from your devices. Disconnecting for a few hours or even a day can help reset your relationship with technology,” she elaborated.
By taking these steps, we can break the cycle of conditioned responses
and regain control over our attention and our lives.
Let us not become like Pavlov’s dog, mindlessly responding to every ping, ding and buzz. Instead, let us use our phones as powerful tools to enhance our lives without letting them control us. By doing so, we can free ourselves from the shackles of constant interruptions and distractions.
The author is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the
Faculty of Engineering and former director of Corporate Communications Centre at Universiti Malaya.
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