Publication detail

Thoughtful design of multi-task scenarios alleviates some competition for limited attentional resources. However, tasks that demand separate perceptual resources may still result in processing overload. In this experiment, participants completed a visual search task and auditory N-back task (absent, 1, 2, 3) in isolation or together via a within-subjects, randomized, and factorial paradigm. We assessed cross-modal influence using summary statistics, a non-parametric metric of efficiency, and complementary evidence accumulation models. As predicted, we found dual-task deficits in both tasks when paired, and further declines in performance with increased task load. Further our modeling results indicated a reconfiguration in decision-making architecture as cross-modal load increased -- lower response caution in one task (thresholds) to compensate for the unavoidable degradation of processing quality in another (drift rates). Overall, our results suggest dual-task capacity limits not only govern the amount of information humans can process, but impose (in)stable decision-making strategies across competing resources streams.

@article{fox_etal:in_press:processing,
    title   = {{I}nfluence of cross-modal load on cognitive processing and decision-making},
    author  = {Fox, Elizabeth L. and Cook, Ashley D. and Bowers, Gregory and Howard, Zachary L. and Vandekerckhove, Joachim},
    year    = {in press},
    journal = {Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications}
}