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

多任务性能已经成为现代世界越来越普遍的现象，因为我们在日常生活和工作生活中面临着对多任务能力不断增长的需求。例如，现代技术设备的发展越来越需要在共享视觉空间区域内的视觉-手动交互（例如，手持设备、平板电脑控制），其在复杂的真实的生活多任务环境中（例如在火车和飞机的驾驶舱中）被连续地实现。然而，从具身认知的研究来看，认知过程并不独立于身体。最近的研究表明，手靠近视觉刺激的存在（例如，在视觉空间注意力焦点内）将注意力分配偏向于手附近的区域，并增强了对手附近空间中的刺激的认知控制的参与。在双重任务的特殊背景下，多个刺激被呈现在近手空间，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，我们要问，改变的视觉空间注意目标S1和S2是否在左手和右手空间内相等，以及手的位置如何决定与中央转换操作有关的认知控制参数，即，任务集在瓶颈处转移。在近端刺激条件下对当前相关刺激进行更彻底和深入的处理可能会延迟脱离并转移到次要任务组件处理。此外，我们评估的优先级的任务顺序和灵活性的任务顺序开关的重新配置的特权刺激处理在近手空间的影响。通过测量手接近效应对双任务绩效的影响，我们的目标是通过强调动作-感知交互在双任务情境中决定认知控制的作用，为人类多任务行为提供一个新的研究视角。因此，一个具体的认知方法，多任务处理，不仅提供了重要的理论科学信息的灵活性的认知控制的协调和调度的任务集在双任务的情况下，但可能会提供肥沃的土壤转移到应用认知科学和技术的发展。最后，我们认为，这个项目将提供一个宝贵的资产，SPP 1772在进一步理解灵活的优先级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.