Harnessing the Wandering Mind: The Role of Perceptual Load

Autor/inn/en	Forster, Sophie; Lavie, Nilli
Titel	Harnessing the Wandering Mind: The Role of Perceptual Load
Quelle	In: Cognition, 111 (2009) 3, S.345-355 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0010-0277
DOI	10.1016/j.cognition.2009.02.006
Schlagwörter	Attention; Short Term Memory; Attention Control; Stimuli + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Aufmerksamkeit; Kurzzeitgedächtnis; Aufmerksamkeitstest; Anreizsystem
Abstract	Perceptual load is a key determinant of distraction by task-irrelevant stimuli (e.g., Lavie, N. (2005). "Distracted and confused?: Selective attention under load." "Trends in Cognitive Sciences," 9, 75-82). Here we establish the role of perceptual load in determining an internal form of distraction by task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs or "mind-wandering"). Four experiments demonstrated reduced frequency of TUTs with high compared to low perceptual load in a visual-search task. Alternative accounts in terms of increased demands on responses, verbal working memory or motivation were ruled out and clear effects of load were found for unintentional TUTs. Individual differences in load effects on internal (TUTs) and external (response-competition) distractors were correlated. These results suggest that exhausting attentional capacity in task-relevant processing under high perceptual load can reduce processing of task-irrelevant information from external and internal sources alike. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.) (As Provided).
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Update	2017/4/10