The limits of parallel processing

Trying to do two things at once decreases performance of one or both tasks in many cases compared to the situation when one performs each task by itself. The present thesis deals with the question why and in which cases these dual-task costs emerge and moreover, whether there are cases in which people are able to process two cognitive tasks at the same time without costs. In four experiments the influence of stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility, S-R modality pairings, interindividual differences, and practice on parallel processing ability of two tasks are examined. Results show that parallel processing is possible. Nevertheless, dual-task costs emerge when: the personal processing strategy is serial, the two tasks have not been practiced together, S-R compatibility of both tasks is low (e.g. when a left target has to be responded with a right key press and in the other task an auditorily presented “A” has to be responded by saying “B”), and modality pairings of both tasks are Non Standard (i.e., visual-spatial stimuli are responded vocally whereas auditory-verbal stimuli are responded manually). Results are explained with respect to executive-based (S-R compatibility) and content-based crosstalk (S-R modality pairings) between tasks. Finally, an alternative information processing account with respect to the central stage of response selection (i.e., the translation of the stimulus to the response) is presented.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Potsdam

Year

2009

Author dc:creator

• Göthe, Katrin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Oberauer, Klaus

• Parallele Verarbeitung
• S-R Kompatibilität
• Modalitätspaarungen
• zentraler Flaschenhals
• parallel processing
• S-R compatibility
• modality pairings
• central bottleneck

Statement dc:rights

• Creative Commons - Namensnennung, Nicht kommerziell, Keine Bearbeitung 3.0 Deutschland

Repository record source_url

https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/4420

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kobv.de-opus4-uni-potsdam:4420