TY - GEN
T1 - The role of individual differences in executive attentional networks and switching choices in multi-task management
AU - Gutzwiller, Robert S.
AU - Wickens, Christopher D.
AU - Clegg, Benjamin A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by NASA under Grant NNX12AE69G (PI: Angelia Sebok), technical monitor Dr. Jessica Marquez and technical sponsor Dr. Brian Gore. RSG's contribution was also supported by a DoD SMART scholarship through the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. We thank Tyler Scott for aid in extracting data from MATB. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Individual differences in cognitive processing relate to critical performance differences in real-world environments. Task switching is required for many of them and especially for task management during overload. Research exploring individual differences related to switching behavior (both frequency, and adherence to "optimal" switch times) is, however, sparse. We examined these relationships here, using the attentional network task to index executive control, and an ongoing tracking task (within a larger suite of concurrent task demands) to examine switching behavior. The results failed to support a general relationship between executive control and frequency in a complex, heterogeneous multi-task environment. However, higher executive control participants more successfully exploited "optimal" switching times, highlighting the varying role of individual differences in task management, when choice is unconstrained.
AB - Individual differences in cognitive processing relate to critical performance differences in real-world environments. Task switching is required for many of them and especially for task management during overload. Research exploring individual differences related to switching behavior (both frequency, and adherence to "optimal" switch times) is, however, sparse. We examined these relationships here, using the attentional network task to index executive control, and an ongoing tracking task (within a larger suite of concurrent task demands) to examine switching behavior. The results failed to support a general relationship between executive control and frequency in a complex, heterogeneous multi-task environment. However, higher executive control participants more successfully exploited "optimal" switching times, highlighting the varying role of individual differences in task management, when choice is unconstrained.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84981715673&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84981715673&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1541931215591138
DO - 10.1177/1541931215591138
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84981715673
T3 - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
SP - 632
EP - 636
BT - 2015 International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2015
PB - Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Inc.
T2 - 59th International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2015
Y2 - 26 October 2015 through 30 October 2015
ER -