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

January 29th 2025

anticipatory nausea

nausea that occurs prior to chemotherapy (typically during the day before administration). Nausea and vomiting can also occur after an individual has received a few treatments, usually in response to triggers in the environment (e.g., odors and sights of the hospital room) that have been associated with the physical side effects of chemotherapy.