“School of Cognitive Sciences”
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| Paper IPM / Cognitive Sciences / 15450 |
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Previous studies have shown that when two tasks are performed concurrently, reaction times increases as the time between the two tasks decreases. This phenomenon is called the dual task interference. Most previous studies have investigated dual task interference using simple stimuli. Little attention has been paid to the dual task interference in more naturalistic settings. We designed a dual task paradigm in the context of a simulated driving task. Participants performed a lane change task in a simulated driving environment on a desktop computer, concurrently with an image discrimination task. We investigated the effects of Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) on the reaction times in response to the two tasks. The effect was as large as 200ms on the driving task in short SOAs. To further capture more naturalistic settings, we also manipulated the time pressure in response to the image and predictability of the order of the presentation of the two tasks. As previously reported, reaction times in response to the second tasks increased at shorter SOAs. Time pressure only affected the reaction time of the image and had no effect on driving. Participants had a tendency to respond to the driving task first. Predictability of the order of the presentation of the two tasks affected which task was responded first and as a result attenuated the effect of SOA on reaction times. These results extend the findings of previous dual task experiments to more naturalistic settings and should be considered in models of dual task interference.
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