Task Functional Demands as Factors in Dual-Task Performance

Abstract

Four tasks were tested in single and pairwise combined performances to investigate their mutual interference. The results demonstrate that functionally dissimilar tasks, in terms of the activities required in processing and responding, can be performed together with much less decrement than functionally identical tasks. The short-term memory function, furthermore, is extremely disruptive when required in one or both of two simultaneously performed discrete, reaction-time tasks.

Using Interference Models to Predict Performance in a Multiple-Task UAV Environment - 2 UAVs

“…As mentioned previously regarding visual-auditory presentations, two tasks which utilize different resource structures are performed more efficiently than two tasks which use the same resource structures (Kantowitz & Knight, 1976;North, 1977;Wickens, 1980), and can sometimes result in almost perfect time-sharing (Allport et al, 1972;Schumacher et al, 2001). For example, driving while listening to the news on the radio is much easier than driving while reading the same information in print.…”

Development and Transfer of Timesharing Skills

“…-----The tasks employed in this experiment have been described in detail elsewhere (North, 1977). Therefore, only a brief description of them will be given.…”

Standardization of Performance Tests: A Proposal for Further Steps.

“…A second problem for the single capacity hypothesis stems from experiments in which a change in difficulty of the primary task fails to influence the performance of the secondary task although the performance of the primary task remains the same (North, 1977;Kantowitz & Knight, 1976;Wickens & Kessel, 1979). In a study by North (1977) subjects had to time-share a tracking task with a discrete digit-process-nq task, which was varied in '2fficuIty.…”

“…In a study by North (1977) subjects had to time-share a tracking task with a discrete digit-process-nq task, which was varied in '2fficuIty. Although the diff-culty manipulat'on of the cigit-process;fj Lask interfered I considerably with i ridizl.nal digit cancelling task, no effect was found on simultanecjs tracK IP.…”