An examination of sustained attention during complex multitasking scenarios

Rann, Jonathan C.; Almor, Amit · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1186/s41235-025-00674-x

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Summary

This study investigates the time course of vigilance decrements during complex multitasking scenarios, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on single-task environments. The authors aim to determine how performance trajectories change over time when operators must simultaneously manage a discrete target detection task and a continuous tracking task, and whether these patterns align with cognitive overload, cognitive underload, or opportunity-cost models of vigilance. The researchers conducted two experiments involving 123 participants who performed a dual-task paradigm for approximately 12 minutes. The primary task was a go-no-go Continuous Performance Test (CPT) requiring participants to detect target letters while withholding responses to a specific non-target. The secondary task was a driving-based tracking task using a steering wheel to follow a moving target. The CPT utilized varying interstimulus intervals (short, medium, long) to modulate attentional demands. Data were analyzed using growth curve modeling to capture non-linear temporal trajectories of performance metrics, including reaction time, accuracy, and signal detection indices. Results revealed that vigilance decrements manifested differently across tasks and measures. Performance trajectories were not uniform; instead, they varied significantly depending on the CPT target presentation rate and the specific metric analyzed. Faster target presentation rates accelerated the onset of vigilance decrements compared to slower rates. The findings support a multifaceted explanation for performance decline, indicating that cognitive overload, cognitive underload, and opportunity costs operate in parallel. Specifically, executive function demands, arousal levels, and motivational factors all contributed to the observed deterioration in sustained attention. The significance of this work lies in its demonstration that traditional single-task models of vigilance are insufficient for predicting performance in ecologically valid, multitasking environments. By identifying how different theoretical mechanisms contribute to performance declines under varying task demands, the study provides critical insights for designing operator-system interfaces. These findings can inform the development of systems that mitigate vigilance decrements, thereby enhancing safety and effectiveness for operators in mission-critical situations such as military surveillance or long-distance driving.

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Topics

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• sustained attention vigilance
• vigilance
• dual task multitasking
• inattentional change blindness
• signal detection theory
• attention

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data, physiological data
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model