Individual Differences in Lapses of Attention: A Latent Variable Analysis

Individual differences in lapses of attention were examined in the present study. Participants performed various attention control, working memory, and reaction time (RT) tasks to assess lapses of attention. Task-unrelated thoughts, task-specific motivation, alertness, and trait factors were also assessed. Behavioral indicators of lapses of attention correlated and loaded on the same general lapse of attention factor. The lapse of attention factor correlated with, but was distinct from, attention control and task-unrelated thoughts factors. The lapses of attention factor further related to working memory capacity, speed of processing, motivation, alertness, boredom proneness, and self-reports of everyday cognitive failures. Structural equation modeling suggested that attention control, task-unrelated thoughts, variance shared across task unrelated thoughts, motivation, and alertness, and boredom proneness all accounted for unique variance in lapses of attention. These results provide important evidence for the general tendency to experience lapses of attention in a variety of tasks and situations and further suggest that multiple factors contribute to variation in lapses of attention.