Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-3-2
pubmed:abstractText
The main challenge for theories of multitasking is to predict when and how tasks interfere. Here, we focus on interference related to the problem state, a directly accessible intermediate representation of the current state of a task. On the basis of Salvucci and Taatgen's (2008) threaded cognition theory, we predict interference if 2 or more tasks require a problem state but not when only one task requires one. This prediction was tested in a series of 3 experiments. In Experiment 1, a subtraction task and a text entry task had to be carried out concurrently. Both tasks were presented in 2 versions: one that required maintaining a problem state and one that did not. A significant overadditive interaction effect was observed, showing that the interference between tasks was maximal when both tasks required a problem state. The other 2 experiments tested whether the interference was indeed due to a problem state bottleneck, instead of cognitive load (Experiment 2: an alternative subtraction and text entry experiment) or a phonological loop bottleneck (Experiment 3: a triple-task experiment that added phonological processing). Both experiments supported the problem state hypothesis. To account for the observed behavior, computational cognitive models were developed using threaded cognition within the context of the cognitive architecture ACT-R (Anderson, 2007). The models confirm that a problem state bottleneck can explain the observed interference.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1939-1285
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
36
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
363-82
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Analysis of Variance, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Attention, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Cognition, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Comprehension, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Female, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Functional Laterality, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Male, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Mathematics, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Memory, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Models, Psychological, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Pattern Recognition, Visual, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Photic Stimulation, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Problem Solving, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Reaction Time, pubmed-meshheading:20192536-Young Adult
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
The problem state: a cognitive bottleneck in multitasking.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Postbus 407, 9700 AK Groningen, the Netherlands. jpborst@ai.rug.nl
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't