Embodied cognition in multitasking: Stimulus-hand proximity and cognitive control in dual-task performance

随着人们在日常生活和工作生活中对多任务能力的需求不断增长，多任务绩效已经成为现代世界中一种日益普遍的现象。例如，现代技术设备的发展越来越需要在共享的视觉-空间区域(例如，手持设备、平板电脑控制)内进行视觉-手动交互，这在复杂的现实生活中的多任务环境中持续实现，例如在火车和飞机的驾驶舱中。然而，从对具身认知的研究中可以知道，认知过程并不独立于身体。最近的研究表明，手靠近视觉刺激(例如，在视觉空间注意焦点内)会偏向将注意力分配到手附近的区域，并增强对近手空间刺激的认知控制。在双重任务的特殊背景下，在近手空间存在多个刺激的情况下，我们的目标是指定哪些控制参数在近端刺激条件下受到影响。因此，我们问，改变的视觉空间注意目标S1和S2在左右手空间中是否相等，以及手的位置如何决定与中央切换操作有关的认知控制参数，即任务集在瓶颈处的转移。在最近刺激条件下对当前相关刺激进行更彻底和更深入的加工可能会延迟脱离，并转移到次要任务成分加工。此外，我们还评估了近手空间的特权刺激加工对任务顺序优先顺序和任务顺序切换重新配置的灵活性的影响。通过测量手的接近度对双重任务绩效的影响，我们旨在通过强调动作-知觉交互作用在决定双重任务情境中认知控制的作用，为人类多任务行为提供一个新的研究视角。因此，对多任务处理的具身认知方法不仅将提供有关双重任务情况下认知控制的灵活性的重要理论科学信息，而且可能为转移到应用认知科学和技术开发提供肥沃的基础。最后，我们认为这个项目将为SPP1772提供宝贵的资产，有助于进一步了解灵活的优先级划分和多个任务集的组件处理之间的转换。

Multiple task performance has become an increasing prevalent phenomenon of the modern world, as we face a constantly growing demand on multitasking abilities in everyday and work life. For example, the development of modern technical devices more and more demand visual-manual interactions within a shared visuo-spatial region (e.g., hand-held devices, tablet control), which are continuously implemented in complex real life multitasking environments, such as in cockpits of trains and aircrafts. From research in embodied cognition, however, it is known, that cognitive processing is not independent of the body. Recent research demonstrated that the presence of hands close to a visual stimulus (e.g., within the visuo-spatial attentional focus) biases the allocation of attention to the area near the hand and enhances the engagement of cognitive control for stimuli in near hand space. In the special context of dual tasks, with multiple stimuli being presented in near hand space, we aim at specifying which control parameters are affected in proximal stimulus conditions. We therefore ask, whether altered visuo-spatial attention targets S1 and S2 equally within left- and right-hand space and how hand position determines cognitive control parameters relating to central switching operations, i.e., task set shifts at the bottleneck. A more thorough and in-depth processing of the currently relevant stimulus under proximal stimulus conditions might delay disengagement and shifts to secondary task component processing. Furthermore, we assess the impact of privileged stimulus processing in near hand space on priorization of task order and the flexibility of reconfiguration of task order switches. By measuring hand proximity effects on dual-task performance, we aim to provide a new research perspective on human multitasking behavior by emphasizing the role of action-perception interaction for determining cognitive control in dual-task situations. An embodied cognition approach to multitasking will, therefore, not only provide important theoretical scientific information concerning the flexibility of cognitive control for the coordination and scheduling of task sets in dual-task situations but might provide fertile grounds for transfer into applied cognitive sciences and technical developments. Finally, we think that this project will provide a valuable asset to the SPP 1772 in furthering the understanding of flexible priorization and shifting between component processing of multiple task sets.