Individual differences in undetected errors in skilled cognitive performance

Skilled performers of cognitive tasks make fewer errors than novices, but they continue to make some errors. A number of these errors, which occur in near-transfer situations, go undetected by the performer. Such errors can have disastrous consequences. We investigated a number of individual differences variables that were correlated with undetected error making in a laboratory task (number reduction) requiring subjects to apply reduction rules to strings of digits to arrive at a single digit answer. In two experiments, we determined: (a.) self-report measures of the propensity to make cognitive slips and lapses were statistically unrelated to performance on our experimental task; and (b) performance-based cognitive resource measures (i.e., working memory capacity) were related to performance. Self-report measures appear to be influenced by social desirability or some correlated construct.