Task organization in multitasking: Determinants and characteristics of individual preferences for serial versus overlapping task processing and different strategies of response organization

目前的项目解决了在处理多个任务要求方面的个体差异。在第一个资助期内，发展了两个实验范式，能够描述同时执行两个认知任务时在两个不同任务组织水平上的个体偏好。第一种被称为具有预览的任务切换(TSWP)，用于研究个体对不同过程组织方式的偏好，即顺序任务处理与重叠任务处理。第二种被称为自由并发双任务(FCDT)，能够在同时处理两个任务时区分不同类型的反应组织。基于第一个范式的证据被发现，个体在他们喜欢的加工方式上有系统地不同。虽然有些人喜欢严格地连续处理两项任务，但另一些人则使用重叠(并行)处理选项，以优化多任务处理性能。在应对组织的层面上也出现了类似的差异。这里可以区分三种类型的行为策略，它们被称为阻塞、转换和响应分组。此外，有证据表明，所选择的处理模式适应于任务要求(即同时执行的任务之间存在串扰的风险)。相比之下，选择的反应策略似乎反映了一种更严格的个人偏见，这种偏见保持不变，与任务之间的资源竞争强度无关。目前的项目利用了这些调查结果，并将有助于更好地了解在多任务处理的两个任务组织层面上的个人偏好的特点、基本决定因素和联系。通过使用上述两个范例，将在一系列拟议的实验室实验中解决以下具体目标：(1)确定优先处理模式和应对组织战略之间的可能联系。(2)澄清重叠处理的性质，即在TSWP范式中被确定为重叠处理者的个人以重叠方式处理的确切内容以及这种重叠处理发生的时间。(3)考察了自上而下和自下而上控制对反应组织偏好加工方式和策略的影响。(4)考察语境效应(如一般记忆负荷、诱发认知方式、动机状态)对FCDT范式中不同反应组织策略的使用和效率的影响。此外，计划与该项目中的其他合作伙伴进行一些合作研究，这些研究将解决认知心理学和运动科学中使用的其他多任务范式中发现的认知和行为控制的个体差异的联系。

The current project addresses individual differences in coping with multiple task requirements. During the first funding period two experimental paradigms have been developed which enable to describe individual preferences on two different levels of task organization when performing two cognitive tasks concurrently. The first one is referred to as task-switching with preview (TSWP) and is used to study individual preferences for different modes of process organization, i.e. serial versus overlapping task processing. The second one is referred to as free concurrent dual-tasking (FCDT) and enables for differentiating between different sorts of response organization when coping concurrently with two tasks. Based on the first paradigm evidence was found, that individuals differ systematically in their preferred mode of processing. While some individuals prefer to work strictly serially on two tasks, others use options of overlapping (parallel) processing in order to optimize multitasking performance. Similar differences emerged on the level of response organization. Here three types of behavioral strategies could be distinguished which are referred to as blocking, switching and response-grouping. Moreover, evidence was found that the chosen mode of processing is adapted to task-demands (i.e. the risk of crosstalk between tasks to be performed concurrently). In contrast, the chosen response strategy seems to reflect a more rigid individual bias which remains constant independent of the strength of resource competition between tasks. The current project capitalizes on these findings and shall contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics, underlying determinants and links of the individual preferences on the two levels of task-organization in multitasking. With the use of the two paradigms mentioned above, the following specific objectives will be addressed in a series of proposed laboratory experiments: (1) Identification of possible links between preferred modes of processing and strategies of response organization. (2) Clarifying the nature of overlapping processing, i.e. what exactly is processed in an overlapping manner by individuals identified as overlapping processors in the TSWP paradigm and when this overlapping processing takes place. (3) Investigating the involvement of top-down and bottom-up control in preferred modes of processing and strategies of response organization. (4) Investigating context effects (e.g. general memory load, induced cognitive style of thinking, motivational state) on the use and efficiency of different response organization strategies in the FCDT paradigm. In addition, a number of cooperative studies with other partners in the project are planned which, among others, will address links to individual differences of cognitive and behavioral control found in other multitasking paradigms used in cognitive psychology and movement sciences.