Priority influences task selection decisions in multi-task management

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Prior research indicates 'priority neglect' in multi-task management, where task priority is often overlooked.
• Task properties like urgency and conflict may influence an operator's adherence to priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how instructed task prioritization affects task selection under conditions of urgency and conflict.
• To determine if priority instructions can overcome 'priority neglect' in multitasking environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB) multitasking platform.
• Tested auditory communications and manual tracking tasks as priority tasks.
• Manipulated conditions of task urgency and conflict.

Main Results:

• Instructed priority significantly improved the selection of target tasks when tasks were in conflict.
• The effect of priority instructions was observed for both auditory and manual tasks.
• Urgency may play a role in modulating the effectiveness of priority instructions.

Conclusions:

• Task priority instructions can be effective in guiding operator task selection, particularly under conflicting conditions.
• Findings suggest that priority instructions may help mitigate 'priority neglect' in multitasking.
• Further research is needed to explore the generalizability of these findings in various multitasking scenarios.