A methodology to control for individual differences in dual-task performance

Abstract

A study was designed to test the effect of a secondary visual task on a primary visual task. In one condition, participants performed the dual-task, while assigning no weight to the secondary task. In the second condition, the primary task was performed simultaneously with the secondary task. The effect of the added workload was measured via the effect on primary task performance. In the baseline portion of the task, participants had their baseline (90% accuracy) of performance collected by adjusting the stimulus duration. The individual participant stimulus duration was then used as the experimental stimulus duration and the effect of secondary task performance on primary task performance was measured. In a third condition, practice was used as a method of controlling for individual differences. Participants performed the task as in the control condition, however they were given twice as much exposure to the task. Participants ran the study for the full duration twice. Only the performance from the second exposure was collected.