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In two experiments, we investigated the effects of a time-based incentive on sustained attention. In both experiments, participants in an incentive condition were told the experiment duration would depend in part on their performance. Control condition participants were not given such a contingency. While both conditions displayed performance decrements (i.e., lengthening of reaction times across time), the incentivized condition demonstrated a shallower decrement. Participants in the incentive condition also reported more stable motivation and alertness across time. Finally, a combined analysis of Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that the relatively more stable alertness in the incentive conditions mediated the conditional differences in the time-on-task decrement. We concluded that (a) when faced with a difficult mental activity, people engage attention as a utility-based choice, and their motivation to perform the task is sensitive to potential rewards and (b) people will feel less mental strain in completing tasks if provided performance-contingent rewards. General Audience Summary: People perform many attention-demanding tasks like driving, completing homework, and scanning for errors in a budget. Over time, these tasks can become increasingly straining, which can urge the need for breaks and lead to a diversion of attention toward other activities. Why is this the case? Theories for why attention wanes across time differ. One set of theories argues that there is a fundamental limitation of the human cognitive system: We can only pay attention for so long, and breaks are necessary for cognitive restoration. However, other theories argue that the cognitive system can, in fact, perform complex mental activities for extended periods of time, given the desire to do so. That is, sustaining one's attention is a matter of willingness, not capability. In the current experiments, we investigated the effects of incentives on performance on a simple sustained attention task. We proposed that leveraging time (early release from a task based on a piece-rate incentive structure) would help to increase motivation and decrease feelings of fatigue over time, which in turn would stabilize cognitive performance across time. We found that participants in the incentivized group indeed demonstrated higher motivation levels, more alertness (less fatigue), and more stable performance than participants in the control condition (no time reward). Follow-up analyses indicated that self-reports of alertness accounted for the increased performance stability in the incentivized group. That is, subjectively, the incentive offset changes in performance because people felt less strain. The current findings demonstrate that people inherently value their time, and to an extent, cognitive performance can be better maintained when people feel incentivized to do so by external rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nHIGHLIGHTSResearch has found that as early as preschool, children from diverse backgrounds are more at risk than their peers to experience bias and racism from teachers and negative behavioral outcomes. Given these negative early childhood school experiences can create greater risk for children and more stress for their families, it is important that research is utilized to change such experiences and support more positive development outcomes for young children. The purpose of this article is to prevent an approach to organize and participate in school differently. Our approach involves developing equitable systems that supports early childhood centers to develop equitable systems by building upon the foundational principles of anti-racism, equity, and barrier prevention rather than seeking to intervene upon inequitable systems through professional development and attempting to remove barriers that have already caused harm as is with traditional approaches.Administrators can support equitable and anti-racist practices by organizing ongoing professional learning with experts and research-based content.Educators should demonstrate competency for working with children and families from diverse backgrounds.Families and community members are critical assets to ensuring early-childhood centers are reflective of students’ cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]