ABSTRACT
We are constantly bombarded with several sources of information that demand cognitive processing. In some cases, external sources such as news, telephones, cell phones, and emails make competing processing demands on cognition. In other cases, internal events such as the activation of various ideations or thoughts compete for consideration. Internal and external sources can also simultaneously exert processing demands. Such competition is often resolved by selecting some sources for further consideration while ignoring others. Resolution of these competitive cognitive demands can reveal the nature of attention, working memory, and cognitive control.
