Multitasking Induced Contextual Blindness

To examine the impact of secondary task performance on contextual blindness arising from the suppression and masking of temporal and spatial sequence learning.

Dual-task scenarios can lead to a diminished ability to use environmental cues to guide attention, a phenomenon that is related to multitasking-induced inattentional blindness. This research aims to extend the theoretical understanding of how secondary tasks can impair attention and memory processes in sequence learning and access.

We conducted three experiments. In Experiment 1, we used a serial reaction time task to investigate the impact of a secondary tone counting task on temporal sequence learning. In Experiment 2, we used a contextual cueing task to examine the effects of dual-task performance on spatial cueing. In Experiment 3, we integrated and extended these concepts to a simulated driving task.

Across the experiments, the performance of a secondary task consistently suppressed (all experiments) and masked task learning (experiments 1 and 3). In the serial response and spatial search tasks, dual-task conditions reduced the accrual of sequence knowledge and impaired knowledge expression. In the driving simulation, similar patterns of learning suppression from multitasking were also observed.

The findings suggest that secondary tasks can significantly suppress and mask sequence learning in complex tasks, leading to a form of contextual blindness characterized by impairments in the ability to use environmental cues to guide attention and anticipate future events.

These findings have implications for both skill acquisition and skilled performance in complex domains such as driving, aviation, manufacturing, and human-computer interaction.