Haptic Processing in Dual Tasks

Abstract

<p>This study will examine the potential for separate attentional resources for haptic and visual processing. The multiple resource model hypothesizes that we have limited attentional resources and different tasks consume different, non-interchangeable attentional resources. For instance, a listening task consumes auditory input resources and a visual task consumes visual input resources. This model hypothesizes that multiple tasks that draw attention from different resources can be time-shared more efficiently than if they have to compete for the same attentional resources. It has not been shown, however, whether haptic input is processed using a dedicated attentional resource, or if haptic input is processed using resources also used for visual processing. To test this hypothesis, we will use tasks involving visual and haptic inputs. In the single-task tria" there will be only one target object presented visually or haptically. Holding this target in memory, subjects will have to process a series of objects one at a time during the trial to determine whether the object is the same as the target. In the dual-task tria" two target objects will be presented. There are three dual-task conditions. The two target objects will be presented in one of the following ways: (a) both visually, (b) both haptically, or (c) one visually and one haptically. Greater resource competition and thereby poorer dual-task performance is predicted for the same-modality conditions than the mixedmodality condition if there exist separate visual and haptic resources.</p><p>This presentation occurred at the Wright State University Campus-Wide Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 16, 2010</p>