Mental fatigue and the control of cognitive processes: effects on perseveration and planning
Abstract
We tested whether behavioural manifestations of mental fatigue may be linked to compromised executive control, which refers to the ability to regulate perceptual and motor processes for goal-directed behaviour. In complex tasks, compromised executive control may become manifest as decreased flexibility and sub-optimal planning. In the study we use the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Tower of London (TOL), which respectively measure flexibility (e.g., perseverative errors) and planning. A simple memory task was used as a control measure. Fatigue was induced through working for 2 h on cognitively demanding tasks. The results showed that compared to a non-fatigued group, fatigued participants displayed more perseveration on the WCST and showed prolonged planning time on the TOL. Fatigue did not affect performance on the simple memory task. These findings indicate compromised executive control under fatigue, which may explain the typical errors and sub-optimal performance that are often found in fatigued people.
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- Authors
- van der Linden, D., Frese, M., & Meijman, T. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Venue
- Acta Psychologica
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-05
- Volume
- 113
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 45-65
- ISSN
- 0001-6918 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2167652505
- Cited by
- 646
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 3.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychologica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- mental fatigue, executive function, perseveration, planning, cognitive flexibility, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Tower of London, task switching, planning time, cognitive performance
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cognition, Mental Fatigue, Female, Humans, Male, Psychological Tests, Reaction Time, Self Efficacy
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