![]() ![]() Thus, both the limits and potential of load theory are at once becoming clearer, allowing more concrete applied predictions to be made. ![]() For example, research has focused on different forms of cognitive load, on different populations, and on the effects of different stimulus sets. Where load theory traditionally created a black-and-white distinction between perceptual and cognitive load and their opposing effects on attentional selection, recent research has contributed many more shades of gray. Recently, the focus of load theory research has moved away from simply establishing the basic consequences of load and focused more on generalizing the theory beyond the original paradigms. such is the speed with which new research is being published in the field, along with the shift in thinking that has occurred in the last number of years. The major reviews in this area are becoming outdated (Lavie, 2005, 2010). This review will examine the state of the research to date-it is timely that we do so now, having passed the 20th anniversary of the load hypothesis (first proposed in Lavie & Tsal, 1994). Despite this being an important step in attention research, outstanding issues and valid criticisms still surround load theory. What made load theory attractive was that it proposed a solution to the long-standing “early versus late selection” debate, which had been the focus of attention researchers for decades (Driver, 2001). This theory has been hugely influential over the last 20 years, with Lavie’s, 1995 study “Perceptual Load as a Necessary Condition for Selective Attention” having been cited 1,385 times at the time of writing this article (source: Google Scholar). ![]() That is, the level of perceptual load as well as any cognitive load will determine the efficiency of distractor rejection. Perceptual load theory (Lavie, 1995, 2005, 2010 Lavie & Tsal, 1994) suggests that the success or failure of selective attention is dependent on the processing demands of the current task. Given the top-down goal of reading this article, how much information is available to you about the fly? Can the processing of irrelevant stimuli be reduced or even prevented by internal or external factors? The inability to ignore distractors is a common experience in daily life, and though it may at times have minor consequences, such as extending the length of time it takes to read an article, in other situations lapses of attention may have far more serious consequences (e.g., in healthcare situations, or while operating heavy machinery). For example, while reading this article the reader may be surrounded by many potential distractors, such as the noise of a fly buzzing around the room. A key question that has fuelled much debate and research in psychology is how, and crucially when, this irrelevant information is filtered out. Selective attention is the ability to focus on that which is important to the task at hand while ignoring or suppressing task-irrelevant information. The potential benefits of applied attention research are numerous, and there is tentative evidence that applied research would provide strong support for the theory itself, as well as real-world benefits related to activities in which attention is crucial, such as driving and education. We argue that the key next step for load theory will be the application of the model to real-world tasks. The article comprises five parts, examining (1) evidence for the effects of perceptual load on attention, (2) cognitive load, (3) individual differences under load, (4) alternative theories and criticisms, and (5) the future of load theory. doi: 10.1177/0963721410370295, 2010) by examining more recent research in what appears to be a rapidly expanding area. The present article supplements and extends previous reviews (Lavie, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 75–82. It is now more than 20 years since the proposal of load theory, and it is a good time to evaluate the evidence in support of this influential model. One of the more prominent theories of attention is perceptual load theory, which suggests that the efficiency of selective attention is dependent on both perceptual and cognitive load. The cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie this process are key topics of investigation in cognitive psychology. Selective attention allows us to ignore what is task-irrelevant and focus on what is task-relevant. ![]()
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