Cognitive Flexibility- Multitasking

Description

In this multitasking experiment, we compare performance when just doing one task compared to when two tasks are mixed. In essence, this is simply a task switching paradigm. It is a cued task switching paradigm, although the cue (the location of the stimulus) and the imperative stimulus are presented at exactly the same time. In that sense, it is a bit mid-way between the alternative run and explicit cued-task paradigm

In this paradigm, we have two different types of comparisons: Single tasking (doing a block of one task type) compared with multi-tasking (rapidly interleaving two tasks). Within a multi-tasking block, task-repeat compared with task-switch trials (this is what task-switching paradigms typically study).

In all trials a 1 x 2 grid is shown on screen. At the top is the words SHAPES, and below the bottom of the grid is the word DOTS.

Single Task Trial Block

There are 2 single task trial blocks (Block 1: Shapes & Block 2: Dots) and these blocks are presented sequentially.
In the SHAPES single task trial block the participant is instructed to attend to a set of shapes (squares or diamonds) and press a key to respond to the stimulus. If the stimulus is a diamond, the participant should press the left key, and the right key for squares.

In the DOTS single task trial block the participant is instructed to attend to a set of dots contained in the shapes as per above (2 or 3 dots), and press a key to respond to the stimulus. If the stimulus is 2 dots, the participant should press the left key, and the right key for 3 dots.

Dual Task Trial Block

In the dual task trial block participants are in instructed that must now combine the rules and switch between them. If they see a DIAMOND in the upper SHAPES part of the grid they must press the left key and ignore the number of dots, If they see a SQUARE in the upper section of the grid they must ignore the number of dots and press the right key.
If they see 2 dots in the lower portion (DOTS) of the grid they must press the left key ignoring the shape, and if they see three dots in the lower part of the grid they must press the right key

Reference

Stoet, G., O’Connor, D.B., Conner, M., and Laws, K. R. (2013). Are women better than men at multitasking? BMC Psychology, 1:18. 10.1186/2050-7283-1-18