Abstract
The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of predictability on dual-task performance in a continuous tracking task. Participants practiced either informed (explicit group) or uninformed (implicit group) about a repeated segment in the curves they had to track. In Experiment 1 participants practices the tracking task only, dual-task performance was assessed after by combining the tracking task with an auditory reaction time task. Results showed both groups learned equally well and tracking performance on a predictable segment in the dual-task condition was better than on random segments. However, reaction times did not benefit from a predictable tracking segment. To investigate the effect of learning under dual-task situation participants in Experiment 2 practiced the tracking task while simultaneously performing the auditory reaction time task. No learning of the repeated segment could be demonstrated for either group during the training blocks, in contrast to the test-block and retention test, where participants performed better on the repeated segment in both dual-task and single-task conditions. Only the explicit group improved from test-block to retention test. As in Experiment 1, reaction times while tracking a predictable segment were no better than reaction times while tracking a random segment. We concluded that predictability has a positive effect only on the predictable task itself possibly because of a task-shielding mechanism. For dual-task training there seems to be an initial negative effect of explicit instructions, possibly because of fatigue, but the advantage of explicit instructions was demonstrated in a retention test. This might be due to the explicit memory system informing or aiding the implicit memory system.
Highlights
Dual-task studies reveal limitations in human behavior and are an intriguing way to discover the functional properties of the cognitive and motor system
An interaction between Condition and Group indicated that the difference in performance with a repeating segment in the middle compared to a random segment in the middle was greater for the explicit group than for the implicit group (M = 0.18 cm, SD = 0.04 for the explicit group, M = 0.09 cm, SD = 0.03 for the implicit group), F(1,35) = 4.17, p = 0.049, η2p = 0.106
To the knowledge of the authors this study is the first to use a continuous tracking task to assess the benefit of knowledge gained in single task conditions to performance under dual task conditions
Summary
Dual-task studies reveal limitations in human behavior and are an intriguing way to discover the functional properties of the cognitive and motor system. Bottleneck theories explain dual-task costs by proposing that certain processing stages Cross talk theories propose that dual-task costs mainly arise when the outcome of one task intervenes with the processing of another (Navon and Miller, 1987). These theories have not yielded practical solutions on how to improve dual-task performance (for an overview see Pashler, 1994). When casually observing motor behavior of humans in everyday situations it becomes apparent that seemingly successful dual-tasking is a common occurrence: walking down a busy street while talking, or driving a car while listening to the radio for instance. We argue that a key feature of such successful multi-tasking is the predictable nature of at least one of the tasks
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