INTERFERENCE EFFECT Meaning and
Definition
-
The interference effect refers to the phenomenon in which the performance or processing speed of a cognitive task is impacted by the simultaneous engagement in another task. This effect occurs when the two tasks share common cognitive resources, leading to interference and subsequent degradation of performance. The interference can manifest in various ways, such as decreased accuracy, longer response times, or impaired memory recall.
The interference effect is a fundamental concept in cognitive psychology, often explored through experiments that measure participants' performance on single tasks versus dual tasks. For example, in a study examining the interference effect in working memory, participants might be asked to remember a set of numbers while simultaneously performing a verbal or visual task. The interference effect becomes evident when the second task disrupts the participant's ability to accurately recall or manipulate the numbers in working memory.
Importantly, the interference effect can also shed light on the limitations and capacity of cognitive processes. It suggests that there are finite resources available for performing cognitive tasks and that engaging in simultaneous tasks can lead to competition for these limited resources. Consequently, understanding the interference effect can help researchers and practitioners optimize task performance, design multitasking environments, and enhance cognitive training programs.
Common Misspellings for INTERFERENCE EFFECT
- unterference effect
- jnterference effect
- knterference effect
- onterference effect
- 9nterference effect
- 8nterference effect
- ibterference effect
- imterference effect
- ijterference effect
- ihterference effect
- inrerference effect
- inferference effect
- ingerference effect
- inyerference effect
- in6erference effect
- in5erference effect
- intwrference effect
- intsrference effect
- intdrference effect
- intrrference effect
Etymology of INTERFERENCE EFFECT
The term "interference effect" is derived from the combination of two words: "interference" and "effect".
The word "interference" comes from the Latin word "interferre", which is a combination of "inter" (meaning "between" or "among") and "ferre" (meaning "to bear" or "to carry"). The concept of interference refers to the action or process of obstructing, hindering, or interrupting something or someone.
The word "effect" has its origins in the Latin word "effectus", which comes from "efficere" ("to accomplish" or "to bring about"). It refers to the result, consequence, or impact produced by an action or cause.
When the two words are combined in the phrase "interference effect", they refer to the outcome or impact resulting from the obstruction, hindrance, or interruption between different processes, stimuli, or cognitive tasks.
