Hand- and Foot-Controlled Dual-Tracking Task Performance Together with a Discrete Spatial Stimulus-Response Compatibility Task

Abstract

ABSTRACTA multi-task paradigm involving dual tracking for hand and foot and a discrete choice response task with signals presented in different modalities (visual–visual versus auditory–visual) was used to study the effect of spatial compatibility for various display-control configurations on performance. Delay in multi-task processing was observed when more than one task demanded the same cognitive resources for processing. Compatibility between stimuli and responses for the discrete response task was found to significantly affect the amount of delay in overall multi-task performance. When two fingers of the left hand were used for responses in the spatial compatibility task, there was an absence of salient frame of reference in the horizontal right–left dimension. Compared with the visual–visual signal presentation, the auditory–visual signal presentation resulted in significantly higher hand-tracking errors, response times, and response errors, implying that mixed-modality stimulus presentation for a discrete response task has an adverse effect on multi-task time-sharing, probably due to response conflict and the effects of shifting between visual and auditory modalities across trials. We conclude by providing ergonomics design implications and recommendations for multi-task environments to facilitate human–machine system design and improve overall system performance.