Attentional pull: the off-task pull of emotions and on-task pull of goals

Abstract

The allocation of attentional resources to a focal task can influence performance on that task, but within-person changes in allocation policy is typically understudied. This study investigates the off-task pull of emotional experiences and the competing on-task pull of goals. Emotional experience was manipulated using an ostracizing event and goals were experimenter-assigned. The results did not support the off-task pull of emotional experiences or the on-task pull of goals. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.