dual-task competition

a phenomenon observed in experimental techniques examining dual-task performance, in which participants are asked to perform two tasks (e.g., speeded reaction time and mental arithmetic) simultaneously. Such tasks require effort (see effortfulness) and tend to compete against each other (see resource competition), resulting in increased error rates and longer reaction time. The decrease in performance is often taken as an index of conscious, voluntary, and attentional capacity limits (see central limited capacity).

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

pluralism

1. the idea that any entity has many aspects and that it may have a variety of causes and meanings.

2. in philosophy, the belief that ultimate reality is composed of more than one substance or fundamental kind of entity. Compare dualism; monism.

3. the existence in a society of people having different religions, ethnic origins, and cultural backgrounds. —pluralist adj.