Distractions

Distraction is the interruption or diversion of attention away from a primary task toward competing stimuli or thoughts. It can be external, such as environmental noise or interruptions, or internal, such as mind wandering, fatigue, or worries. Distractions are defined by their interference with sustained attention and goal-directed behavior rather than by the task itself.

External distractions include phone notifications, conversations, advertisements, background noise, and visual clutter. Internal distractions encompass daydreaming, stress, boredom, hunger, fatigue, and tasks that trigger intrusive thoughts. Digital environments often intensify distractions through alerts, hyperlinks, and rapidly changing information streams.

Effects on performance: distractions typically slow task completion, reduce accuracy, impair learning, and increase cognitive load. In safety-critical domains such as driving or healthcare, distractions can raise the risk of harm. The effects vary with task complexity and individual differences; brief, well-timed breaks can help restore attention in some contexts.

Mitigation: environmental design reduces distractions by controlling sound, lighting, layout, and visual clutter; policies such as designated quiet times or notification management can help. Personal strategies include time-blocking, chunking tasks, setting explicit goals, turning off nonessential alerts, mindful attention or meditation practices, and taking planned breaks. In digital tools, features like do-not-disturb or app blockers assist focus.

Researchers study distractions using self-report scales, performance tasks, and physiological measures to understand attention, executive control, and the factors that modulate distractibility.