Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Dec;12(6):1011-7.
doi: 10.3758/bf03206436.

Distraction and action slips in an everyday task: evidence for a dynamic representation of task context

Matthew M Botvinick  1 , Lauren M Bylsma
Affiliations

Distraction and action slips in an everyday task: evidence for a dynamic representation of task context

Matthew M Botvinick et al. Psychon Bull Rev. 2005 Dec.

Abstract

We report here a novel and counterintuitive effect of distraction on routine sequential action. The effect, predicted by a recent computational model of sequential behavior, relates to the tendency for a momentary distraction, such as a brief interruption, to lead to subsequent slips of action. The specific prediction is that errors should be more likely following a distraction occurring toward the middle of a subtask sequence than following a distraction occurring at the end of a subtask. This was tested and confirmed in an experiment involving repeated performance of an everyday task (coffee making) under conditions involving frequent interruption. The observed effect provides differential support for existing models of sequential behavior and offers a highly constraining benchmark for future theories.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Psychol Res. 2002 Nov;66(4):298-311 - PubMed
    1. Psychol Rev. 2004 Apr;111(2):395-429 - PubMed
    1. Cogn Neuropsychol. 2000 Jun 1;17(4):297-338 - PubMed
    1. Psychol Bull. 2001 Jan;127(1):3-21 - PubMed
    1. Cogn Neuropsychol. 1998 Sep 1;15(6-8):617-43 - PubMed

Publication types