Load Theory
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Load theory was proposed by Nilli Lavie in the mid-2000s. It holds that selective attention is not a fixed filter but a consequence of resource limits: when a task imposes high perceptual load, all attentional capacity is consumed by relevant processing and distractors go unprocessed, while low perceptual load leaves spare capacity that spills over and processes distractors involuntarily. The theory reconciles conflicting findings about whether distraction can be resisted. The key qualification is that the relevant limit is perceptual load, not merely the difficulty or importance of the task.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Gauge the load: ask whether the task leaves spare attentional capacity. - Shield low-load work: add explicit isolation when the task cannot consume attention. - Use load deliberately: schedule demanding work during high-distraction periods.
Anchor fast decisions
Attention does not allocate resources selectively by default; it allocates them to whatever the current task demands, up to a fixed capacity. When those demands are high, no capacity remains for task-irrelevant input, so distractors fail to reach awareness. When demands are low, the leftover capacity is spent automatically on whatever else is present, which is why an easy task is more vulnerable to interruption than a hard one. Distraction is therefore a function of task load rather than of environment alone.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual_load_theoryverified
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