Title |
Effects of distraction on memory and cognition: a commentary
|
---|---|
Published in |
Frontiers in Psychology, July 2014
|
DOI | 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00841 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Fergus I M Craik |
Abstract |
This commentary is a review of the findings and ideas reported in the preceding nine articles on the effects of distraction on aspects of cognitive performance. The articles themselves deal with the disruptive effects of distraction on recall of words, objects and events, also on visual processing, category formation and other cognitive tasks. The commentary assesses the part played by "domain-general" suppression of distracting information and the "domain-specific" competition arising when tasks and distraction involve very similar material. Some forms of distraction are meaningfully relevant to the ongoing task, and Treisman's (1964) model of selective attention is invoked to provide an account of findings in this area. Finally, individual differences to vulnerability to distraction are discussed; older adults are particularly affected by distracting stimuli although the failure to repress distraction can sometimes prove beneficial to later cognitive performance. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Canada | 2 | 29% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 29% |
Unknown | 3 | 43% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 4 | 57% |
Scientists | 3 | 43% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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South Africa | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 169 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 31 | 18% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 26 | 15% |
Student > Master | 16 | 9% |
Student > Postgraduate | 14 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 10 | 6% |
Other | 25 | 15% |
Unknown | 48 | 28% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 66 | 39% |
Neuroscience | 14 | 8% |
Engineering | 6 | 4% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 6 | 4% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 5 | 3% |
Other | 24 | 14% |
Unknown | 49 | 29% |