ABSTRACT
Constricted/flexible control is a measure of the ability to ignore distractions to focus on relevant stimuli (Klein, 1954). This control also measures the ability to inhibit incorrect verbal responses. The flexible individual is not as easily distracted as a constricted processor and therefore is better able to inhibit irrelevant responses. Constricted processors are also more susceptible to distraction when completing tasks with conflicting cues. The flexible individual tends to concentrate more completely on the task at hand (Gardner, Holzman, Klein, Linton, & Spence, 1959). Constricted/flexible control is sometimes referred to as rigidity/flexibility, which is defined as one’s readiness (or lack thereof) to review and change one’s judgment of a proposed solution to a problem.
