Attentional resource allocation in the early stages of motor skill learning

The relationship between attentional resource allocation and early motor skill learning remains unclear. This study examined how proficiency in drone operation influences attention and which factors contribute to individual differences. Twenty-three participants with no prior drone experience performed a simulator task consisting of 12 three-minute trials, divided into three phases of four trials each. We estimated attentional resource allocation using auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) elicited by task-irrelevant auditory probes. Performance improved significantly across phases (ps < 0.001), and N1 and P2 amplitudes were significantly reduced (ps < 0.05), indicating that participants allocated more attentional resources to drone operation as proficiency increased. Furthermore, overall task performance significantly correlated with smaller P2 amplitudes (r = -0.42, p = .044). Given that variability in P2 amplitude of AEPs elicited by task-irrelevant probes reflects endogenous attention, the findings suggest that endogenous attention might play a key role in early motor skill learning and underlie individual differences.