Cardiac Control During Dual-Task Performance of Visual or Auditory Monitoring With Visual-Manual Tracking

Abstract

Thirty university students (15 females) performed tasks from the NASA Multiattribute Task Battery, which was used to manipulate the attentional processing resource demands of the tasks. Separate groups performed visual or auditory monitoring tasks singly and in combination with visual-manual tracking while heart period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and pre-ejection period (PEP) were recorded to determine the modes of cardiac control during task performance. The tracking single-task suppressed RSA and was interpreted as eliciting an uncoupled parasympathetic inhibition mode of cardiac control because of its demand upon perceptual and manual processing resources. The monitoring task both suppressed RSA and shortened PEP and was interpreted as eliciting a reciprocally-coupled sympathetic activation and parasympathetic inhibition mode of cardiac control because of its demand for perceptual/central processing resources. Dividing attention elicited uncoupled parasympathetic inhibition that was greater for the visual monitoring and tracking dual-task than for the auditory monitoring and tracking dual-task, which we interpreted as indicating a greater sharing of perceptual/spatial and manual processing resources for these tasks. Practice lengthened PEP in the dual-tasks and was interpreted as eliciting uncoupled sympathetic inhibition that was indicative of improved central processing resource efficiency. The results are evaluated in terms of how knowledge of cardiac control modes may be used to assess mental workload in applications such as adaptive automation.Key words: divided attention, heart period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, pre-ejection periodMental workload is a construct that is central to the application of attention theory to the problem of optimizing the interaction between people and their tasks. Mental workload has been described by Gopher and Donchin (1986) as the extent to which a person's information processing abilities are actively engaged by tasks that they are motivated to perform. Optimizing the person/task interaction means more than minimizing mental workload for the duration of a task. Ideally, optimization implies that mental workload be dynamically adjusted so that a person is neither over nor under loaded while performing the task. Achieving this ideal person/task interaction will require a system that can allocate functions between the person and other (typically automated) task components, an approach that is integral to applications such as adaptive aiding, adaptive

Self-forgiveness and forgiveness-seeking in response to rumination: Cardiac and emotional responses of transgressors

“…However, we observed a different autonomic mode of control, known as uncoupled parasympathetic inhibition (no sympathetic changes with parasympathetic inhibition - Berntson, Cacioppo, & Quigley, 1993). This mode of control has been found in tasks involving perceptual-manual response without engagement of central processing resources (Backs et al, 2005). Our findings suggest that ruminating about one's transgression involved a certain degree of attention without a pronounced engagement of central resources.…”

“…Our hypothesis predicted that ruminating about one's transgression would elicit reciprocal sympathetic activation and parasympathetic inhibition, a pattern observed in tasks involving engagement of central processing resources (Backs, Rohdy, & Barnard, 2005), mild psychological stress, such as those using the Stroop Word Color Conflict Test with monetary inducement (Delaney & Brodie, 2000), and tasks eliciting acute psychological stress, such as those involving speech, mental arithmetic, or reaction time (Brindle et al, 2014). However, we observed a different autonomic mode of control, known as uncoupled parasympathetic inhibition (no sympathetic changes with parasympathetic inhibition - Berntson, Cacioppo, & Quigley, 1993).…”

Enhancing assessment of in-vehicle technology attention demands with cardiac measures

“…Tasks that elicit executive attentional processes (for higher-order strategies during dual-task performance) elicit only decreases in PEP while tasks that require primarily perceptual/motor processing (e.g., manual tracking) elicit only decreases in HF-HRV. [13,14] Research has confirmed that these modes of autonomic control are elicited during simulated driving as well. For example, a number of studies have shown that simulated driving in which velocity is fixed (primarily a perceptual/motor processing task) elicits only a decrease in HRV.…”

Cardiac Autonomic Control During Simulated Driving With a Concurrent Verbal Working Memory Task

“…In turn, as people become more efficient, fewer executive processes may be necessary to perform the task later as opposed to earlier in practice. Although Backs (1998) showed that the use of executive processes for dual-task performance elicits significant sympathetic activity, Backs et al (2005) found that sympathetic activation wanes over time as the number of executive processes used for task performance presumably decreases.…”

“…Tasks that require primarily perceptual-motor processing (e.g., manual tracking) elicit uncoupled parasympathetic withdrawal (Backs, Rhody, & Barnard, 2005;Lenneman & Backs, 2000). In addition, Backs et al (2005) found that adding monitoring tasks that required perceptual-central and motor processing to a tracking task that required perceptualmotor processing (thus creating competition primarily for motor resources) increased parasympathetic withdrawal but had no effect on sympathetic activity. Finally, executive attentional processes (for higher-order strategies during dual-task performance) are thought to elicit uncoupled sympathetic activation (Backs, 1998).…”