Virtually no evidence for virtually perfect time-sharing.
An examination of previous claims for virtually perfect time-sharing in dual-task situations reveals confounding effects that may have obscured dual-task interference. Two experiments are conducted in which these confounding effects are minimized, revealing statistically significant dual-task interference. These results support the hypothesis that human information processing is dominated by a structural central capacity limitation and call into question the hypothesis that dual-task interference can be eliminated by meeting the 5 conditions outlined by D. Meyer and D. Kieras (1999).
Tombu
Michael
M
York University, Centre for Vision Research, Toronto, ON, Canada. mtombu@cs.yorku.ca
Jolicoeur
Pierre
P
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003118:Color Perception; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011601:Psychophysics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012033:Refractory Period, Psychological; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior