title: Effect of External Irrelevant Distracters on a Visual Search Test in School-Age Children: Computerized Assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to test the effect of an irrelevant external distracter included in a computer-administered visual search test. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) If the distracter affects performance, attention efficiency will be lowered; (b) if children do not habituate to the distracter, performance will be lower for every item of the test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Distraction was induced changing the screen color unexpectedly several times in each trial-450 children (225 girls and 225 boys) from second to sixth course were tested. This group was compared with a group of 423 children from the same age range who were tested with the same test without distraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Induced distraction reduced attention efficiency for all ages and for every trial in the treatment group (test with distraction). Speed was lower, but number of errors did not increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School-age children cope with an irrelevant external distracter by reducing speed, not accuracy.
authors: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain m.angelesquiroga@psi.ucm.es.
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Quiroga
authors: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Santacreu
authors: Psychologist, Madrid, Spain.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: López-Cavada
authors: Psychologist, Madrid, Spain.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Capote
authors: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Morillo
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception
keywords: computerized assessment; distraction; school-age children; visual search