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| Cognitive debt 2025 by Geoffrey W Sutton & Microsoft CoPilot |
Cognitive Debt: An Emerging Construct
Cognitive debt refers to the accumulation of unprocessed mental tasks, unresolved decisions, or unattended information that burdens cognitive resources over time.
Much like technical debt in software development, cognitive debt arises when individuals defer mental effort—such as postponing decisions, ignoring notifications, or multitasking inefficiently—leading to a backlog that impairs attention, memory, and executive function (Mark et al., 2016).
This concept is particularly relevant in digital environments where constant interruptions and task-switching are common. Research suggests that frequent context switching can create a residue of incomplete cognitive processes, which accumulate and reduce overall cognitive efficiency (Adler & Benbunan-Fich, 2013). Over time, this debt may manifest as mental fatigue, reduced productivity, and impaired decision-making (Leroy, 2009).
Although still under theoretical development, cognitive debt intersects with related constructs such as attention residue, cognitive load, and executive fatigue. It highlights the importance of cognitive hygiene—strategies like task batching, digital decluttering, and intentional rest—to prevent long-term cognitive strain.
Cognitive Load and Related Concepts
Cognitive Load and Cognitive Load Theory
Self-Interruptions and Cognition
Post Author
Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com
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References
Adler, R. F., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2013). Self-interruptions in discretionary multitasking. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1441–1449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.01.040
Leroy, S. (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109(2), 168–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.04.002
Mark, G., Iqbal, S. T., Czerwinski, M., Johns, P., & Sano, A. (2016). Email duration, batching and self-interruption: Patterns of email use on productivity and stress. Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1717–1728. https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858262
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