Attention in a multi-task environmentTwo experiments used a low fidelity multi-task simulation to investigate the effects of cue specificity on task preparation and performance. Subjects performed a continuous compensatory tracking task and were periodically prompted to perform one of several concurrent secondary tasks. The results provide strong evidence that subjects enacted a strategy to actively divert resources towards secondary task preparation only when they had specific information about an upcoming task to be performed. However, this strategy was not as much affected by the type of task cued (Experiment 1) or its difficulty level (Experiment 2). Overall, subjects seemed aware of both the costs (degraded primary task tracking) and benefits (improved secondary task performance) of cue information. Implications of the present results for computational human performance/workload models are discussed.
Document ID
19950063569
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Andre, Anthony D. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, US, United States)
Heers, Susan T. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, US, United States)