A dual-task paradigm is a procedure in experimental
neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology concerned with how a person's cognition and behavior are related to the brain and the rest of the nervous system. Professionals in this branch of psychology often focus on how injuries or illnesses of t ...
that requires an individual to perform two tasks simultaneously, in order to compare
performance
A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function.
Management science
In the work place ...
with single-task conditions. When performance scores on one and/or both tasks are lower when they are done simultaneously compared to separately, these two tasks interfere with each other, and it is assumed that both tasks compete for the same class of
information processing
Information processing is the change (processing) of information in any manner detectable by an observer. As such, it is a process that ''describes'' everything that happens (changes) in the universe, from the falling of a rock (a change in posit ...
resources in the brain.
For instance, reciting poetry while riding a bike are two tasks that can be performed just as well separately as simultaneously. However, reciting poetry while writing an essay should deteriorate performance on at least one of these two tasks, because they interfere with each other.
The interpretation of dual-task paradigms follows the view that human processing resources are limited and shareable and that they can be subdivided into several classes.
[Wickens, C.D. 1991. Processing resources and attention. In Multiple Task Performance (ed. D.L. Damos), pp. 3–34. Taler & Francis, Ltd., Bristol.]
References
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External links
Scholarpedia article
Neuropsychology
Memory