Distracting Stimuli

Distracting stimuli divert attention from desired focus, caused by loss of interest in the primary activity, inability to pay attention, intensity of the distractor, and novelty or attractiveness of the distractor. This interferes receiving important information. Stimuli are:

• External from outside the brain, including sights, sounds, and other stimuli that enter through special senses (noise, visual triggers, social interactions, music, text messages, phone calls).
• Internal from within the mind, including thoughts, feelings, and general senses (fatigue, rumination, stress, hunger, pain/illness, worrying, daydreaming, temperature, dizziness).