Distraction and cognitive performance
- 1 June 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in The European Journal of Cognitive Psychology
- Vol. 1 (2) , 161-179
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09541448908403078
Abstract
The effects of distraction on cognitive performance were examined in a series of experiments. Several factors were found to influence the extent of any distraction effect, including the complexity of the main task (defined in various ways), the relationship between the distracting stimuli and the task stimuli, and the stage of practice. Of particular importance was the consistent finding that distraction effects were interactively determined by task complexity and by the similarity between task and distracting stimuli, with similarity affecting distraction only at moderate and high levels of task complexity. The results were interpreted in terms of a theoretical account which emphasised the notion that resisting distraction requires processing resources, and that distraction effects therefore depend on the total processing demands of the task situation.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Disruption of short-term memory by unattended speech: Implications for the structure of working memoryJournal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1982
- Noise and intellectual performance: A confirmation and extension.Journal of Applied Psychology, 1977
- Verbal Reasoning and Working MemoryQuarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1976
- Task Demand as Reflected in Catecholamine Excretion and Heart RateJournal of Human Stress, 1976
- The motivating effects of distraction on task performance.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975
- Effect of noise on intellectual performance.Journal of Applied Psychology, 1974
- Effects of Four Noise Conditions on Arithmetic PerformancePerceptual and Motor Skills, 1972