scholarly journals Effects of concurrent task demands on language planning in fluent children and adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1311-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAYANTHI SASISEKARAN ◽  
CARA DONOHUE
Keyword(s):  
Dual Task ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Language Planning ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Distractor Word ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Related Condition ◽  
Secondary Tasks

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to investigate how children and adults allocate cognitive resources to performing segmental encoding and monitoring in a dual-task paradigm and the response patterns of the primary and secondary tasks in the dual task. Participants were 20 children divided equally into two age groups (7–11 and 12–15 years) and 10 adults. The primary task required participants to monitor phonemic segments in a picture–written word interference paradigm while silently naming the pictures. The picture and distractor word were the same (replica), related (phoneme onset overlap), or unrelated. The secondary task required participants to make pitch judgments on tones presented at short (330 ms) or long (1130 ms) stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) from picture onset. Developmental differences were observed in both response times and percentage errors in the primary and secondary tasks. Slower responses to the primary task were evident at the long SOA, related condition. Slower response times to the tone decision task were evident at the short rather than the long SOA. The findings support the capacity sharing account of dual-task performance and suggest that dual-task costs during language planning are higher in children than in adults.

scholarly journals Competing for cognitive resources: Measuring workload in a time pressured dual-task environment.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector Palada ◽  
Andrew Neal ◽  
David Strayer ◽  
Timothy Ballard ◽  
Andrew Heathcote
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Task Environment ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Response Task

The Detection Response Task (DRT) is an international standard for assessing workload that has minimal effects on primary task performance, making it an attractive option for workload measurement in many settings. An increase in DRT response times and a decrease hit rates as primary task load increases is thought to occur due to competing resources being reallocated to the primary task. However, alternative processes could account for these effects, including changes in response caution, response bias and non-decision processes. We examine how people respond to changes in task demands in a dual-task environment and aim to identify what it is that the DRT is measuring. We model a primary classification task and the DRT in a time pressured environment using the linear ballistic accumulator (Brown & Heathcote, 2008) and a single-bound diffusion (Wald) model (Heathcote, 2004). Under greater time pressure, the rate of information processing increased on the primary task while response caution decreased. In contrast, the rate of information processing in the DRT declined with greater time pressure. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the DRT’s sensitivity to workload is due to the reallocation in resources as demands increase on the primary task.

scholarly journals Competing for cognitive resources: Measuring workload in a time pressured dual-task environment.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector Palada ◽  
Andrew Neal ◽  
David Strayer ◽  
Timothy Ballard ◽  
Andrew Heathcote
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Task Environment ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Response Task

The Detection Response Task (DRT) is an international standard for assessing workload that has minimal effects on primary task performance, making it an attractive option for workload measurement in many settings. An increase in DRT response times and a decrease hit rates as primary task load increases is thought to occur due to competing resources being reallocated to the primary task. However, alternative processes could account for these effects, including changes in response caution, response bias and non-decision processes. We examine how people respond to changes in task demands in a dual-task environment and aim to identify what it is that the DRT is measuring. We model a primary classification task and the DRT in a time pressured environment using the linear ballistic accumulator (Brown & Heathcote, 2008) and a single-bound diffusion (Wald) model (Heathcote, 2004). Under greater time pressure, the rate of information processing increased on the primary task while response caution decreased. In contrast, the rate of information processing in the DRT declined with greater time pressure. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the DRT’s sensitivity to workload is due to the reallocation in resources as demands increase on the primary task.

scholarly journals Adjustment of cognitive control to the frequency of dual-task interference

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Olszanowski ◽  
Natalia Szostak
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Secondary Task ◽  
Control Experiment ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Dual Task Performance ◽  
High Level ◽  
Dual Task Interference

This study explored whether the control mechanisms recruited for optimising performance are similar for dual-task and interference-task settings. We tested whether the frequency of appearance of a secondary task resulted in an adjustment of anticipatory and reflexive forms of attentional control, as has been observed with other interference tasks (e.g. stroop and flanker). The results of two experiments demonstrated a proportion congruency effect (PCE): when a secondary task frequently appeared, primary task performance was slower. Additionally, there was a relative slowdown of dual-task performance in blocks wherein the secondary task appeared infrequently compared to blocks wherein it appeared frequently. However, this slowdown occurred when the primary task entailed a low level of control (Experiment 1) but was absent when it demanded a high level of control (Experiment 2). Overall, the results suggest that level of control can be adjusted to task demands related to the frequency of the secondary task.

What You Don’t Notice Can Harm You: Age-Related Differences in Detecting Concurrent Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Cues

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon J. Pitts ◽  
Nadine Sarter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Driving Task ◽  
Tactile Cues ◽  
Simulated Driving Task

Objective This research sought to determine whether people can perceive and process three nonredundant (and unrelated) signals in vision, hearing, and touch at the same time and how aging and concurrent task demands affect this ability. Background Multimodal displays have been shown to improve multitasking and attention management; however, their potential limitations are not well understood. The majority of studies on multimodal information presentation have focused on the processing of only two concurrent and, most often, redundant cues by younger participants. Method Two experiments were conducted in which younger and older adults detected and responded to a series of singles, pairs, and triplets of visual, auditory, and tactile cues in the absence (Experiment 1) and presence (Experiment 2) of an ongoing simulated driving task. Detection rates, response times, and driving task performance were measured. Results Compared to younger participants, older adults showed longer response times and higher error rates in response to cues/cue combinations. Older participants often missed the tactile cue when three cues were combined. They sometimes falsely reported the presence of a visual cue when presented with a pair of auditory and tactile signals. Driving performance suffered most in the presence of cue triplets. Conclusion People are more likely to miss information if more than two concurrent nonredundant signals are presented to different sensory channels. Application The findings from this work help inform the design of multimodal displays and ensure their usefulness across different age groups and in various application domains.

Individual Differences in Mental Rotation

2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Khooshabeh ◽  
Mary Hegarty ◽  
Thomas F. Shipley
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Mental Rotation Task ◽  
Imagery Ability ◽  
Alternative Strategies

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that imagery ability and figural complexity interact to affect the choice of mental rotation strategies. Participants performed the Shepard and Metzler (1971) mental rotation task. On half of the trials, the 3-D figures were manipulated to create “fragmented” figures, with some cubes missing. Good imagers were less accurate and had longer response times on fragmented figures than on complete figures. Poor imagers performed similarly on fragmented and complete figures. These results suggest that good imagers use holistic mental rotation strategies by default, but switch to alternative strategies depending on task demands, whereas poor imagers are less flexible and use piecemeal strategies regardless of the task demands.

Animal Recognition and Eye Movements

2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby J. Lloyd-Jones ◽  
Juergen Gehrke ◽  
Jason Lauder
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Object Orientation ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Object Decision ◽  
Individual Features ◽  
And Performance

We assessed the importance of outline contour and individual features in mediating the recognition of animals by examining response times and eye movements in an animal-object decision task (i.e., deciding whether or not an object was an animal that may be encountered in real life). There were shorter latencies for animals as compared with nonanimals and performance was similar for shaded line drawings and silhouettes, suggesting that important information for recognition lies in the outline contour. The most salient information in the outline contour was around the head, followed by the lower torso and leg regions. We also observed effects of object orientation and argue that the usefulness of the head and lower torso/leg regions is consistent with a role for the object axis in recognition.

scholarly journals Increased Neural Efficiency in Visual Word Recognition: Evidence from Alterations in Event-Related Potentials and Multiscale Entropy

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Kelsey Cnudde ◽  
Sophia van Hees ◽  
Sage Brown ◽  
Gwen van der Wijk ◽  
Penny M. Pexman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Visual Word Recognition ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Visual Word ◽  
Multiscale Entropy ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Late Positive Component ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Related Potentials

Visual word recognition is a relatively effortless process, but recent research suggests the system involved is malleable, with evidence of increases in behavioural efficiency after prolonged lexical decision task (LDT) performance. However, the extent of neural changes has yet to be characterized in this context. The neural changes that occur could be related to a shift from initially effortful performance that is supported by control-related processing, to efficient task performance that is supported by domain-specific processing. To investigate this, we replicated the British Lexicon Project, and had participants complete 16 h of LDT over several days. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) at three intervals to track neural change during LDT performance and assessed event-related potentials and brain signal complexity. We found that response times decreased during LDT performance, and there was evidence of neural change through N170, P200, N400, and late positive component (LPC) amplitudes across the EEG sessions, which suggested a shift from control-related to domain-specific processing. We also found widespread complexity decreases alongside localized increases, suggesting that processing became more efficient with specific increases in processing flexibility. Together, these findings suggest that neural processing becomes more efficient and optimized to support prolonged LDT performance.

scholarly journals Association of Affect and Gait Performance in Dual-Task Walking in Non-Demented Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 287-287
Author(s):  
Deepan Guharajan ◽  
Roee Holtzer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Gait Velocity ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract Aging populations are at increased risk to experience mobility disability, which is associated with falls, frailty, and mortality. Previous studies have not examined the concurrent associations of both positive and negative affect with gait velocity. We examined whether individual differences in positive and negative affect predicted dual-task performance decrements in velocity in a dual-task (DT) paradigm in non-demented older adults. We hypothesize that positive affect would be associated with lower DT costs, and negative affect would be associated with higher DT costs. Participants (N = 403; mean age, = 76.22 (6.55); females = 56%) completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and a DT paradigm that involved three task conditions: Single-Task-Walk (STW), Alpha (cognitive interference requiring participants to recite alternate letters of the alphabet), and Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) requiring participant to perform the two single tasks concurrently. Gait velocity was assessed via an instrumented walkway. As expected, results of a linear mixed effects model (LME) showed a significant decline in gait velocity (cm/s) from STW to DTW (estimate = -11.79; 95%CI = -12.82 to -10.77). LME results further revealed that negative affect was associated with greater decline in gait velocity from STW to DTW (ie., worse DT cost) (estimate = -0.38; 95%CI = -0.73 to -0.03). Positive affect did not, however, predict DT costs in gait velocity (estimate = -0.09; 95%CI = -0.23 to 0.05). These findings suggest that increased negative affect interferes with the allocation of attentional resources to competing task demands inherent in the DT paradigm.

scholarly journals Visual Attention and Aging: an Age-Related Cognitive Model of Positive Adaptation

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-191
Author(s):  
José Manuel Rodríguez-Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Covert Attention ◽  
Positive Adaptation ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Healthy Young People

We have studied the effects of normal aging on visual attention. Have participated a group of 38 healthy elderly people with an average age of 67.8 years and a group of 39 healthy young people with average age of 19.2 years. In a first experiment of visual detection, response times were recorded, with and without covert attention, to the presentation of stimuli (0.5º in diameter grey circles) appearing in three eccentricities (2.15, 3.83 and 5.53° of visual field) and with three levels of contrast (6, 16 and 78%). In a second experiment of visual form discrimination circles and squares with the same features as in the previous experiment were presented, but in this case subjects only should respond to the emergence of the circles. In both age groups, the covert attention reduced response times. Compared to young people, the older group achieved better results in some aspects of attention tests and response times were reduced more in the stimuli of greater eccentricity. The data suggest that there is a mechanism of adaptation in aging, in which visual attention especially favors the perception of those stimuli more difficult to detec

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document