title: Attending at a Low Intensity Increases Impulsivity in an Auditory Sustained Attention to Response Task.
abstract: Why attention lapses during prolonged tasks is debated, specifically whether errors are a consequence of under-arousal or exerted effort. To explore this, we investigated whether increased impulsivity is associated with effortful processing by modifying the demand of a task by presenting it at a quiet intensity. Here, we consider whether attending at low but detectable levels affects impulsivity in a population with intact hearing. A modification of the Sustained Attention to Response Task was used with auditory stimuli at two levels: the participants' personal "lowest detectable" level and a "normal speaking" level. At the quiet intensity, we found that more impulsive responses were made compared with listening at a normal speaking level. These errors were not due to a failure in discrimination. The findings suggest an increase in processing time for auditory stimuli at low levels that exceeds the time needed to interrupt a planned habitual motor response. This leads to a more impulsive and erroneous response style. These findings have important implications for understanding the nature of impulsivity in relation to effortful processing. They may explain why a high proportion of individuals with hearing loss are also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UKMRC Institute of Hearing Research, Nottingham Clinical Section, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK hettie@ihr.mrc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hettie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roebuck
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UK.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UK.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourke
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D013067:Speech Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Sustained Attention to Response Task; auditory attention; effortful listening; impulsivity; sustained attention