Reactive Task-Set Switching Ability, Not Working Memory Capacity, Predicts Change Blindness Sensitivity

Abstract

Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) have been shown to predict how well people perform tasks that require directed attention, but the individual differences responsible for task-set switching and noticing behaviors are less well understood. In this study, 86 undergraduate students from California State University, Northridge completed a measure of WMC, a measure of cognitive flexibility, and attempted to identify disappearing objects in change-blindness slides. WMC was not related to our measure of cognitive flexibility or change detection, but cognitive flexibility was directly correlated with the ability to notice change. The findings suggest that the ability to notice sudden changes in an environment, an ability that is of paramount importance for the safe operation of complex machinery and systems, may be supported by individual differences that are independent of WMC.

Web-Based Training Program Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Enhance Cognitive Flexibility and Alleviate Psychological Distress Among Schoolteachers: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…This ability is indispensable in stress management of teachers who are often faced with student- or parent-related issues that are difficult to resolve. It has also been pointed out that cognitive flexibility contributes to not only prevention of burnout but also nurturing of prompt judgment for difficult tasks and improvement of the ability to recognize even a slight environmental change and to cope with it [ 18 , 29 ]. Teachers are also required to have the ability to promptly cope with consecutive daily problems and to quickly notice and react to changes in the atmosphere of students and the class.…”

Cognitive Flexibility and Sustained Attention

“…Resources must be allocated continuously for successful completion on the task. Some researchers have found that the vigilance decrement can be experienced as soon as 10 minutes (Figueroa and Youmans, 2011).…”

Supervisory Control of Multiple Robots

“…This performance decrement, therefore, seems to reflect something more related to attentional abilities than to deliberate strategies. Future research should investigate factors contributing to this deficiency by low-PAC individuals (e.g., working memory capacity and cognitive flexibility; Bühner, König, Pick, & Krumm, 2006;Feldman Barrett et al, 2004;Youmans, Figueroa, & Kramarova, 2011) and possible training or interfaces design strategies to mitigate them.…”