Establishing the Attention-Distractibility Trait. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Forster, Sophie; Lavie, Nilli
• Is Part Of: Psychological science. Volume 27:Number 2(2016:Feb.)
• Page Start: 203
• Page End: 212
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: attention -- distraction -- ADHD -- perceptual load -- personality traits; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0956797615617761
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-7976

Abstract

Failures to focus attention will affect any task engagement (e.g., at work, in the classroom, when driving). At the clinical end, distractibility is a diagnostic criterion of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we examined whether the inability to maintain attentional focus varies in the overall population in the form of an attention-distractibility trait. To test this idea, we administered an ADHD diagnostic tool to a sample of healthy participants and assessed the relationship between ADHD symptoms and task distraction. ADHD symptom summary scores were significantly positively associated with distractor interference in letter-search and name-classification tasks (as measured by reaction time), as long as the distractors were irrelevant (cartoon images) rather than relevant (i.e., compatible or incompatible with target names). Higher perceptual load during a task eliminated distraction irrespective of ADHD score. These findings suggest the existence of an attention-distractibility trait that confers vulnerability to irrelevant distraction, which can be remedied by increasing the level of perceptual load during the task.