The working memory costs of a central attentional bottleneck in multitasking.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Level 2 by design analogy (controlled experimental laboratory study).
PubMed 34751812 · doi:10.1007/s00426-021-01615-1
What was done
Researchers integrated the psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm with a working memory (WM) task to create a complex WM span task across multiple experiments. Participants memorized a sequence of letters, completed either a single task or a dual task (with difficulty manipulated across two follow-up experiments) during the retention interval, and then recalled the letter sequence in order.
What was found
Working memory performance (the quantity of letters recalled in correct order) decreased when participants performed a dual task during the retention interval compared to a single task. Two follow-up experiments manipulating dual-task difficulty showed consistent reductions in recall. The abstract does not provide specific numerical values, error rates, or effect sizes.
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that serial processing in multitasking relies on active scheduling control mechanisms that directly recruit and deplete working memory executive resources.
Limits
The abstract omits sample sizes, participant demographics, and all quantitative data (such as means, standard deviations, and effect sizes). The laboratory-based letter recall and PRP paradigms also have limited ecological validity for complex real-world multitasking contexts.
Cited by
- supports True multitasking with two cognitively engaged tasks is not possible; the brain instead switches between tasks with an associated cognitive cost.