A Semi-Naturalistic Grocery List Recall Task as a Working Memory Distractor

The present study evaluates the usefulness of a semi-naturalistic task as a working memory distractor. Previous studies not finding a relationship between working memory and distraction may not have used a distractor which loaded onto working memory. To address these limitations, we created a semi-naturalistic distractor meeting Kane et al.’s (2007) domain-general criteria of working memory where the primary task tapped into executive attention and the secondary task tapped into memory storage. Finally, participants completed two driving scenarios: one while engaging in the distractor task, and one while not engaging in any distraction, to evaluate the distractor’s effects on driving performance. Theoretical and practical implications on driver safety are discussed.