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===Controlled processes===
One definition of a controlled process is an intentionally-initiated sequence of cognitive activities.<ref name=Scneider>{{cite journal|last=Schneider|first=Shiffrin|title=Controlled Automatic Human Information Processing|year=1977|issue=I. Detection, Search, and Attention}}</ref> In other words, when attention is required for a task, we are consciously aware and in control. Controlled processes require us to think about situations, evaluate and make decisions. An example would be reading this article. We are required to read and understand the concepts of these processes and it takes effort to think conceptually. Controlled processes are thought to be slower, since by definition they require effortful control; therefore, they generally cannot be conducted simultaneously with other controlled processes without task-switching or impaired performance. So the drawback of controlled processes is that humans are thought to have a [[Cognitive load|limited capacity]] for overtly controlling behavior. Being tightly capacity-limited, controlled processing imposes considerable limitations on speed and the ability to have divided attention. Divided attention is the ability to switch between tasks. Some tasks are easier to perform with other tasks like talking and driving.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schneider|first=Walter|last2=Chein|first2=Jason M.|date=May 2003|title=Controlled & automatic processing: behavior, theory, and biological mechanisms|journal=Cognitive Science|volume=27|issue=3|pages=525–559|doi=10.1207/s15516709cog2703_8|issn=0364-0213|doi-access=free}}</ref> Holding a conversation, however, becomes more difficult when traffic increases because of the need to focus more on driving than on talking.
Forster and Lavie found that the ability to focus on a task is influenced by processing capacity and perceptual load.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Forster|first=Sophie|last2=Lavie|first2=Nilli|date=March 2008|title=Failures to ignore entirely irrelevant distractors: The role of load.|journal=Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied|volume=14|issue=1|pages=73–83|doi=10.1037/1076-898x.14.1.73|pmid=18377168|pmc=2672049|issn=1939-2192}}</ref> Processing capacity is the amount of incoming information a person can process or handle at one time. Perceptual load is how difficult the task is. A low load task is when one can think less about the task they are involved in. A high load task is when one needs to devot all their focus to the task. If they become distracted then they won't be able to accomplish the task.
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