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The impact of predictability on dual-task performance and implications for resource-sharing accounts
Laura Broeker1, Harald Ewolds2, Rita F de Oliveira3
1Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany. l.broeker@dshs-koeln.de.
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications
|January 5, 2021
Summary
Predictability in one task improved its performance, but not the other, in dual-tasking. Covarying tasks, however, allowed for better resource sharing and improved performance in both.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Performance
Background:
- Multitasking performance is influenced by resource allocation.
- Predictability's role in dual-task resource management is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how predictability impacts dual-task performance.
- To explore resource allocation strategies during multitasking.
Main Methods:
- Continuous tracking and audiomotor tasks were used.
- Predictability was manipulated within and between tasks.
- Advance information and task covariation were employed.
Main Results:
- Performance improved in the predictable task, not the unpredictable one.
- Participants did not reallocate resources to the unpredictable task.
- Covarying tasks improved performance in both, suggesting better resource sharing.
Conclusions:
- Predictability benefits the task it applies to, without automatic resource transfer.
- Task relatedness is crucial for effective resource sharing in dual-tasking.
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