People often have trouble performing 2 relatively simple tasks concurrently. The causes of this interference and its implications for the nature of attentional limitations have been controversial for 40 years, but recent experimental findings are beginning to provide some answers. Studies of the psychological refractory period effect indicate a stubborn bottleneck encompassing the process of choosing actions and probably memory retrieval generally, together with certain other cognitive operations. Other limitations associated with task preparation, sensory-perceptual processes, and timing can generate additional and distinct forms of interference. These conclusions challenge widely accepted ideas about attentional resources and probe reaction time methodologies. They also suggest new ways of thinking about continuous dual-task performance, effects of extraneous stimulation (e.g., stop signals), and automaticity. Implications for higher mental processes are discussed.

https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/116/2/220.pdf

Dual-task interference in simple tasks: Data and theory.

This paper describes the origins and history of multiple resource theory in accounting for differences in dual task interference. One particular application of the theory, the 4-dimensional multiple resources model, is described in detail, positing that there will be greater interference between two tasks to the extent that they share stages (perceptual/cognitive vs response) sensory modalities (auditory vs visual), codes (visual vs spatial) and channels of visual information (focal vs ambient). A computational rendering of this model is then presented. Examples are given of how the model predicts interference differences in operational environments. Finally, three challenges to the model are outlined regarding task demand coding, task allocation and visual resource competition.

http://apps.usd.edu/coglab/schieber/psyc792/workload/Wickens2002b.pdf

Multiple resources and performance prediction

Objective: The objective is to lay out the rationale for multiple resource theory and the particular 4-D multiple resource model, as well as to show how the model is useful both as a design tool and as a means of predicting multitask workload overload. Background: I describe the discoveries and developments regarding multiple resource theory that have emerged over the past 50 years that contribute to performance and workload prediction. Method: The article presents a history of the multiple resource concept, a computational version of the multiple resource model applied to multitask driving simulation data, and the relation of multiple resources to workload. Results: Research revealed the importance of the four dimensions in accounting for task interference and the association of resources with brain structure. Multiple resource models yielded high correlations between model predictions and data. Lower correlations also identified the existence of additional resources. Conclusion: The model was shown to b...

/pdf/multiple-resources-and-mental-workload-3cmfcjztqf.pdf

Multiple Resources and Mental Workload

Inhibition and impulsivity: Behavioral and neural basis of response control

According to Fitts' law, human movement can be modeled by analogy to the transmission of information. Fitts' popular model has been widely adopted in numerous research areas, including kinematics, human factors, and (recently) human-computer interaction (HCI). The present study provides a historical and theoretical context for the model, including an analysis of problems that have emerged through the systematic deviation of observations from predictions. Refinements to the model are described, including a formulation for the index of task difficulty that is claimed to be more theoretically sound than Fitts' original formulation. The model's utility in predicting the time to position a cursor and select a target is explored through a review of six Fitts' law studies employing devices such as the mouse, trackball, joystick, touchpad, helmet-mounted sight, and eye tracker. An analysis of the performance measures reveals tremendous inconsistencies, making across-study comparisons difficult. Sources of experimental variation are identified to reconcile these differences.

Fitts' law as a research and design tool in human-computer interaction

Single-channel operation in the brain

Speed and accuracy of movement and their changes with age.

Skill and Age--An Experimental Approach@@@Older People and Their Employment@@@Trends in Gerontology@@@A Classified Bibliography of Gerontology and Geriatrics

A.T. Welford

Papers

Single-channel operation in the brain

Speed and accuracy of movement and their changes with age.

Skill and Age--An Experimental Approach@@@Older People and Their Employment@@@Trends in Gerontology@@@A Classified Bibliography of Gerontology and Geriatrics