Spiders need breaks, too

Focus on one task too long, and performance suffers. That so-called “vigilance decrement” occurs whether you’re writing a manuscript, doing your taxes—or hunting flies.

William Helton, PhD, at George Mason University, usually studies sustained attention in people. Recently, he teamed up with animal behavior researcher Ximena Nelson, PhD, at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, to investigate whether jumping spiders also experience a dip in performance when they work too long without a break.

Read the full article at American Psychological Association.

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