Interface is not the enemy: The impact of hover effect, notifications and banner on attention.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of interface elements (notifications, banners, and interactive feedback such as hover effects) on sustained and selective attention. Participants completed a modified Bourdon sustained-attention task: they memorized three target words and searched for matching words among distractors in a calendar-like grid. Additionally, participants needed to close notifications and report the presence of banners on the website. The findings revealed no differences in Bourdon test accuracy across conditions, suggesting that interface elements did not affect sustained attention, in contrast to prior research. At the same time, the hover effect predicted faster notification responses and lower banner blindness, indicating an effect on selective attention. Specifically, the hover effect significantly reduced reaction time to notifications and banner detection differed significantly between hover conditions. We interpret these results within the framework of digital-environment interactivity, demonstrating the role of interface feedback in attentional processes. Overall, the findings suggest that interface elements that provide feedback may facilitate a more efficient distribution of attention rather than overloading it. The main limitation is that we recruited only students from a highly selective university, which may limit generalizability. The paper discusses how socioeconomic status may influence endogenous attentional mechanisms and suggests that future research should take this factor into account as a potential covariate.