Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Cognitive control of involuntary distraction by deviant sounds
Fabrice B R Parmentier1, Maria Hebrero
1Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands.
Summary
Cognitive control, using cues, effectively reduces distraction from unexpected sounds. This attentional control mechanism works regardless of cue timing, showing that cognitive strategies can manage auditory distraction.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Attention Studies
Background:
- Task-irrelevant deviant sounds involuntarily capture attention, prolonging response times.
- Cognitive control via cues has been proposed to mitigate distraction from deviant sounds.
- An alternative theory suggests cue processing depletes resources, reducing orienting responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the cognitive control and attentional resource depletion explanations for cue-mediated distraction reduction.
- To investigate the impact of cue timing on distraction by deviant sounds.
Main Methods:
- An experiment was conducted where participants judged sound movement direction.
- Conditions included no cues, early cues, and immediate cues predicting sound type.
- Behavioral distraction (response time lengthening) was measured.
Main Results:
- Cues predicting deviant sounds completely eliminated behavioral distraction.
- This distraction reduction occurred irrespective of whether cues were presented early or immediately before sounds.
- The findings supported cognitive control over resource depletion as the mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive control, through predictive cueing, effectively reduces distraction from deviant sounds.
- The results rule out attentional resource division as the primary explanation for cueing effects.
- This highlights the role of top-down attentional mechanisms in managing auditory distraction.
Related Concept Videos
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
01:17Auditory Perception
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:05Instinctive Drift
Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...