I just read an interesting post in the excellent Cognitive Daily blog: "Can distraction keep us from getting distracted?" This article reminded me of an interesting phenomenon I noticed a long time ago when Tetris was popular. I found that my Tetris performance was noticeably better when I was slightly distracted, either by music or random thoughts. When my brain was sort of on auto-pilot mode, it could not be stopped, but when I concentrated on the task, I was much more prone to error. The research mentioned by the posting demonstrates this phenomenon, and has some interesting explanations. Obviously more research has to be done to see what is really going on. I'd love to know, and I frequently wonder in what contexts that distracted state can help. Is it just for relatively simple tasks, like playing Tetris, or could the benefits also apply to more complex tasks, like programming?
Posted by ahyatt at November 19, 2005 07:14 AMPlease tell me more about your friend Jay. I greatly admire his mustache.
Posted by: Harry Zests on November 29, 2005 11:43 PMI think you're on to something here. My best Minesweeper time ever happened while I was talking on the phone. I haven't gotten within 30 seconds of that time since (although I don't play much anymore). I've also noticed the Tetris effect you mention. I suspect that for certain, well practiced behaviors, thinking too hard can be a hindrance. However, letting the Zen of the moment place that L piece in Tetris may not extend to tasks that intrinsically require more intensive cognition.
Posted by: Greg on December 6, 2005 06:36 PMPS Where is Jay's mustache? I want to see!
Posted by: Greg on December 6, 2005 06:37 PM