Self-reported and task-based measures of attention control are distinct

Attention control, the ability to maintain focus while resisting distractions, is critical for executing goal-directed behaviors. Attention control has been measured via tasks and self-reports, and some studies have started to examine the degree to which these different measurement types correspond. We investigated the relationship between task-based and self-reported attention control measures in two studies. In Study 1 (online), participants completed an anti-saccade task follow by self-reported measures of attention control. Anti-saccade task performance was not associated with self-reported attention control shifting or distractibility. In Study 2 (in-person), we incorporated additional task-based measures of attention control and found results consistent with Study 1 (i.e., no association between self-reported and task-based measures of attention control). Bayes factors provided evidence in support of the null hypothesis, or the absence of a relationship between self-reported and task-based measures of attention control. Factor analyses revealed self-reported and task-based measures of attention control separated into two uncorrelated factors. Taken together, our findings suggest that task-based and self-reported attention control measures may not reflect the same underlying construct, which has implications for study design and research on individual differences in attention control.