S-C-R (Stimulus/Central-Processing/Response) Compatibility and Dual Task Performance in Two Complex Information Processing Tasks: Threat Evaluation and Fault Diagnosis

摘要

This experiment was conducted to extend the principles of stimulus/central-processing/response or S-C-R compatibility, described in an earlier report by Sandry and Wickens, to a more complex environment. The principle states that tasks with verbal central-processing demands will be best served by voice input and output channels. Tasks with spatial demands will be best served by visual/manual channels. A verbal task requiring subjects to proceed through a hierarchical checklist of systems and components to ascertain their status (fault), is time-shared with a spatial task, requiring subjects to evaluate the relative velocity vector of two aircraft for the likelihood of interception. In different conditions each of these were served by both input and output modalities, in single and dual task configurations. The general results indicated that anticipated compatibility effects were obtained and often enhanced under dual task conditions. In particular, in some circumstances compatibility effects dominated those of resource competition. That is, performance on both tasks in a dual task pair was better when they shared a common input channel, but were both S-C compatible, than when they shared different channels, but one was incompatibly displayed. The practical implications of these results to the interfacing of tasks wit voice recognition and synthesis technology are discussed. (Author)