Harnessing the wandering mind: The role of perceptual load

被引:167
作者
Forster, Sophie [1 ]
Lavie, Nilli
机构
[1] UCL, Inst Cognit Neurosci, London WC1E 6BT, England
基金
英国惠康基金;
关键词
Task-unrelated thoughts; Mind-wandering; Perceptual load; Attention; Response competition; Distractor interference; STIMULUS-INDEPENDENT THOUGHT; SELECTIVE ATTENTION; WORKING-MEMORY; INFORMATION; MAINTENANCE; RESPONSES;
D O I
10.1016/j.cognition.2009.02.006
中图分类号
B84 [心理学];
学科分类号
04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
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. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:345 / 355
页数:11
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