In this project, performance costs during multitasking, i.e., when performing two tasks simultaneously (dual task) or rapidly switching between two tasks (task switching), are compared between a classic laboratory situation and a more realistic situation in a driving simulator.
The focus is on the role of the pairing of the sensory and motor modalities of the tasks. In our preliminary work, we were able to show that the extent of the costs of multitasking depends on how the tasks are combined. For example, combining a visual task with a manual response and an auditory task with a verbal response results in lower multitasking costs than combining a visual task with a verbal response and an auditory task with a manual response.
This difference, known as the modality compatibility effect, is thought to be influenced by lifelong learning experiences that shape our natural tendency to associate certain stimuli with certain responses.
This study investigates the modality compatibility effect in both a traditional laboratory setting and a driving simulator that provides a more realistic multitasking environment with additional distractions such as traffic noise and road signs. This allows us to examine how attention and motivation factors influence multitasking performance in different age groups depending on the setting.
We expect implications for how multitasking differs in the real world from controlled laboratory conditions and what role age plays in this.