Real life does not always get in the way: verbal memory and the Sustained Attention to Response Task

Smith, Samantha L, Edgar, Graham K ORCID: 0000-0003-4302-7169, Russell, Paul N. and Helton, William S. (2020) Real life does not always get in the way: verbal memory and the Sustained Attention to Response Task. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 64 (1). pp. 234-238. doi:10.1177/1071181320641056

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Abstract

The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) is a go/no-go task where participants must respond frequently to target stimuli and withhold responses from infrequent neutral stimuli. Researchers have shown that the fast and frequent responding characteristic of SART is typically associated with difficulty withholding responses to no-go stimuli. Imposing additional cognitive demands has been shown to further impair task performance. In the present research, participants completed a modified SART task, a narrative memory task, and a dual-task condition where both were done simultaneously. No significant performance impairments were found in the dual- compared to single-task conditions. The tasks’ non-overlapping resource demands, alongside a potential arousing benefit of the memory task, may explain the lack of notable dual-task interference. Future research is needed to better understand the effects of arousal and other factors that may help to uncouple errors of commission from response time, particularly in tasks with high ecological validity.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Goodland
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2021 14:50
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 09:04
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/9399

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