You are measuring the decision to be fast, not inattention: the Sustained Attention to Response Task does not measure sustained attention

Dang, Jasmine S.; Figueroa, Ivonne J.; Helton, William S.

doi:10.1007/s00221-018-5291-6

Cited by 42 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The interpretation of these results, however, are hard to interpret for several reasons: (1) RT is the primary behavioral measure (see limits to this approach in the introduction). Moreover, the "go/no-go" detection task used is associated with pronounced criterion effects (e.g., Dang, Figueroa, & Helton, 2018;Doneva & De Fockert, 2014;Helton, Head, & Russell, 2011;Helton, Weil, Middlemiss, & Sawers, 2010), and the authors themselves conclude that they are unable to distinguish whether their results are due to changes in sensitivity or criterion (p. 2026). (2) In the targetpresent trials-75% of trials-of Experiment 2, in which the significant RT feature validity effect was found, detection accuracy was near chance-76.9%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

In search of exogenous feature-based attention

Donovan

Zhou

Carrasco

2019

Atten Percept Psychophys

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Visual attention prioritizes the processing of sensory information at specific spatial locations (spatial attention; SA) or with specific feature values (feature-based attention; FBA). SA is well characterized in terms of behavior, brain activity, and temporal dynamics-for both top-down (endogenous) and bottom-up (exogenous) spatial orienting. FBA has been thoroughly studied in terms of top-down endogenous orienting, but much less is known about the potential of bottom-up exogenous influences of FBA. Here, in four experiments, we adapted a procedure used in two previous studies that reported exogenous FBA effects, with the goal of replicating and expanding on these findings, especially regarding its temporal dynamics. Unlike the two previous studies, we did not find significant effects of exogenous FBA. This was true (1) whether accuracy or RT was prioritized as the main measure, (2) with precues presented peripherally or centrally, (3) with cue-to-stimulus ISIs of varying durations, (4) with four or eight possible target locations, (5) at different meridians, (6) with either brief or long stimulus presentations, (7) and with either fixation contingent or noncontingent stimulus displays. In the last experiment, a postexperiment participant questionnaire indicated that only a small subset of participants, who mistakenly believed the irrelevant color of the precue indicated which stimulus was the target, exhibited benefits for valid exogenous FBA precues. Overall, we conclude that with the protocol used in the studies reporting exogenous FBA, the exogenous stimulus-driven influence of FBA is elusive at best, and that FBA is primarily a top-down, goal-driven process.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

In search of exogenous feature-based attention

Donovan

Zhou

Carrasco

2019

Atten Percept Psychophys

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“…According to the literature on the SART, deliberate control is beneficial for performance on no-go trials. Deliberate control can be employed to sustain attention to the task (e.g., [75]), but also to support a controlled response strategy [76][77][78]. Therefore, the reason why sticky thought was associated with lower performance compared to neutral/non-sticky thought may be because this mode of thought was associated with a lower level of deliberate control.…”

Section: Correlates and Insights For The Stickiness Dimension Of Thoughtmentioning

confidence: 99%

Captivated by thought: “Sticky” thinking leaves traces of perceptual decoupling in task-evoked pupil size

et al. 2020

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Throughout the day, we may sometimes catch ourselves in patterns of thought that we experience as rigid and difficult to disengage from. Such “sticky” thinking can be highly disruptive to ongoing tasks, and when it turns into rumination constitutes a vulnerability for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The main goal of the present study was to explore the stickiness dimension of thought, by investigating how stickiness is reflected in task performance and pupil size. To measure spontaneous thought processes, we asked participants to perform a sustained attention to response task (SART), in which we embedded the participant’s concerns to potentially increase the probability of observing sticky thinking. The results indicated that sticky thinking was most frequently experienced when participants were disengaged from the task. Such episodes of sticky thought could be discriminated from neutral and non-sticky thought by an increase in errors on infrequent no-go trials. Furthermore, we found that sticky thought was associated with smaller pupil responses during correct responding. These results demonstrate that participants can report on the stickiness of their thought, and that stickiness can be investigated using pupillometry. In addition, the results suggest that sticky thought may limit attention and exertion of cognitive control to the task.

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“…The SART shows temporal decline in performance, which Robertson et al (1997) attributed to increasing mindlessness. By contrast, Helton and colleagues (e.g., Dang, Figueroa, & Helton, 2018) have argued that performance change on the SART reflects motor control processes, including speed–accuracy trade-off, rather than any loss of awareness of external stimuli. However, if such strategic factors can be controlled, the task may support further investigation of possible temporal changes in reactive control.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

The ANT Executive Control Index: No Evidence for Temporal Decrement

Zholdassova¹,

Kustubayeva

Matthews

2019

Hum Factors

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Objective: This study tested whether indices of executive control, alertness, and orienting measured with Attention Network Test (ANT) are vulnerable to temporal decrement in performance. Background: Developing the resource theory of sustained attention requires identifying neurocognitive processes vulnerable to decrement. Executive control processes may be prone to impairment in fatigue states. Such processes are also highlighted in alternative theories. Determining the role of executive control in vigilance can both advance theory and contribute to practical countermeasures for decrement in human factors contexts. Method: In Study 1, 80 participants performed the standard ANT for an extended duration of about 55 to 60 min. Study 2 (160 participants) introduced manipulations of trial blocking and stimulus degradation intended to increase resource depletion. Reaction time and accuracy measures were analyzed. Subjective stress and workload were assessed in both studies. Results: In both studies, the ANT induced levels of subjective workload and task disengagement consistent with previous sustained attention studies. No systematic decrement in any performance measure was observed. Conclusion: Executive control assessed by the ANT is not highly vulnerable to temporal decrement, even when task demands are elevated. Future work should differentiate executive control processes; proactive control may be more implicated in sustained attention decrement than in reactive control. Application: Designing systems and interfaces to reduce executive control demands may be generally beneficial but will not directly mitigate temporal performance decrement. Enhancing design guidelines and neuroergonomic methods for monitoring operator attention requires further work to identify key neurocognitive processes for decrement.

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You are measuring the decision to be fast, not inattention: the Sustained Attention to Response Task does not measure sustained attention

Cited by 42 publications

References 28 publications

In search of exogenous feature-based attention

In search of exogenous feature-based attention

Captivated by thought: “Sticky” thinking leaves traces of perceptual decoupling in task-evoked pupil size

The ANT Executive Control Index: No Evidence for Temporal Decrement

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