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Stop Thinking: An Experience Sampling Study on Suppressing Distractive Thoughts at Work.

Cornelia Niessen1, Kyra Göbel1, Jonas W B Lang2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Work and Organizational Psychology Unit, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Workers with higher cognitive ability use more thought control under time pressure. Those with lower ability struggle, with time pressure hindering their focus. This highlights the interplay between individual differences and workplace demands on self-control.

Keywords:
experience samplingself-controlsuppression-induced forgettingthought controltime pressure

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Organizational Behavior

Background:

  • Modern workplaces present challenges to maintaining task focus due to distractions.
  • Thought control activities are a form of self-control aimed at inhibiting unwanted thoughts.
  • Understanding person-situation interactions is crucial for managing cognitive resources at work.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how challenging work demands, specifically time pressure and task complexity, influence thought control activities.
  • To examine the relationship between work demands and the effort invested in thought control.
  • To determine if individual differences in the general ability to suppress unwanted thoughts moderate these relationships.

Main Methods:

  • An experience sampling study was used to capture daily working life experiences.
  • A laboratory-based think/no-think task assessed participants' general ability to suppress unwanted thoughts.
  • Multilevel modeling was employed to analyze the data and identify person-situation interactions.

Main Results:

  • Workers with higher general cognitive ability to suppress unwanted thoughts engaged more in thought control activities under moderate time pressure.
  • For workers with lower suppression ability, increasing time pressure negatively impacted thought control engagement, even at low levels.
  • The relationship between time pressure and thought control activation is contingent on individual cognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

  • Individual differences in cognitive ability significantly moderate the impact of situational factors like time pressure on self-control behaviors.
  • Workplace interventions aimed at enhancing thought control should consider individual cognitive capacities.
  • Effective thought control in demanding work environments depends on both situational triggers and personal cognitive resources.