What occurs when there is too much information to attend to at one time?

The correct answer is information overload. This term specifically refers to the state in which an individual is exposed to an excessive amount of information, which overwhelms their ability to process it effectively. When facing information overload, distractions can arise, making it challenging to focus on the task at hand, leading to decreased performance and an inability to make informed decisions.

Information overload is particularly relevant in high-stress environments like aerospace physiology, where quick decision-making is crucial. Understanding this concept helps individuals recognize their cognitive limits and the importance of prioritizing information to maintain effective performance.

The other terms provided may seem applicable, but they do not encapsulate the specific nature of being overwhelmed by information as precisely as information overload does. Task overload typically refers to having too many tasks to complete within a given time frame rather than an excess of information. Task saturation could imply a situation of reaching full capacity in terms of task management, while attention overload deals with the limits in attentional capacity rather than the quantity of information itself. Therefore, information overload accurately describes the phenomenon where too much information interferes with an individual's processing ability.