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Increased attention towards progress information near a goal state
Sean Devine1, Y Doug Dong2, Martin Sellier Silva2
1Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 Av. McGill College, Montréal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada. seandamiandevine@gmail.com.
People increase cognitive effort and attention to progress as they near a goal. Eye-tracking reveals more frequent gazes at progress bars when goals are closer, supporting this behavioral shift.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Psychological research indicates increased cognitive effort near goal achievement.
- Previous studies show faster responses, not less accuracy, as goals approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate when individuals monitor progress information during demanding tasks.
- To determine if progress monitoring is continuous or goal-proximal.
Main Methods:
- Utilized eye-tracking to measure gaze frequency towards a progress bar.
- Analyzed trial-by-trial changes in progress monitoring during an oddball task.
- Exploratory analysis of tonic pupil diameter as a measure of cognitive effort.
Main Results:
- Cognitive effort, measured by correct responses per second, increased near the goal.
- The rate of attending to progress information (gaze frequency) significantly increased as participants neared the goal.
- Tonic pupil size also increased sharply near the goal, mirroring gaze patterns.
Conclusions:
- Individuals do not continuously monitor progress but attend more frequently as goals become proximal.
- Increased attention to progress information near a goal state drives enhanced cognitive effort.
- Findings support the dynamic regulation of attention based on goal proximity.
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