Neurophysiological and behavioral evidence of distraction resistance in goal setting

Background: The typical professional schedule is characterized by a series of goals and routine tasks to which we commit a specific amount of time throughout the day and that requires, to be effectively completed, the capacity to prioritize and manage in terms of time-cost advantages. However, distractions at work frequently cause professional activities to be interrupted, necessitating control processes to provide the flexibility and the attentional effort required to meet the deadlines. Objectives: This research aimed at investigating the behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) correlates of professionals’ capacity to maintain focus amid distractions during a task focused on goal setting. Additionally, it explored professionals’ openness and adaptability to adjust a pre-established time allocation. Method: 33 professionals (Mage = 38.39 SDage = 13.69, age range: 21-65, Nmale = 12, Nfemale = 21) undertook the Time for Goal task (T4G) which was composed of three phases: Resistance to Distractor (RD), Time Confidence Assessment (TC), and Time-to-Action Recalibration (TAR), yielding three respective scores (RD, TC, and TAR). During the RD phase, EEG activity of delta, theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands was continuously recorded. At the end of the T4G task participants filled in the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI). Results: The findings indicated decreased beta band power during the post-distractor phase compared to the pre-distractor phase across bilateral frontal areas [in AF7 (p = .043) and in AF8 (p = .037)], whereas increased beta band power was observed during the post-distractor phase compared to the pre-distractor phase specifically in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) (p = .026). Correlations between the EEG workload index (calculated as the ratio of post/pre-distractor EEG data) showed a negative relation between the RD score and the EEG beta workload index in the right frontal area (r = -.437, p =.029), as well as a negative correlation between the TAR score and the EEG alpha workload index in the rTPJ (r = -.348, p = .044). Lastly, a negative correlation emerged between the Emotional Stability trait and the TAR score (r = - .411, p = .033). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated a unique pattern of activation associated with the ability to resist distractions, suggesting a critical role for both rTPJ and beta band in attentional mechanisms and cognitive control. Notably, studies showed beta band to be a marker of cognitive control, specifically associated with top-down control of behavior and attention mechanisms [1, 2, 3]. At the same time, rTPJ as well has been identified as a component of the right-lateralized "ventral attentional control network” [4,5], which is typically activated during stimulus-driven reorienting. This network may serve as a "circuit breaker” for ongoing processes in the dorsal attention network, allowing attention to be redirected to unexpected but pertinent information [5].