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Instructor/Advisor

Michael Stroud

Keywords

Attention, Multitasking, Distraction

Abstract

This study explores how focused attention is affected by multitasking using a modified Where’s Waldo? visual search task. In Experiment 1, participants searched for Waldo in cluttered images while simultaneously monitoring a second screen for the appearance of a blue fish. Both tasks required visual attention, allowing us to examine performance under within-modality interference. Reaction time for Waldo detection and accuracy in identifying the fish were recorded to assess attentional demands. In Experiment 2, the secondary task was changed to a verbal modality: participants were asked to answer general knowledge trivia questiosn while completing the same visual search task. This cross-modal condition allowed us to investigate whether interference is reduced when attention is split across different sensory systems. By comparing performance across single-task, dual-visual, and visual-verbal conditions, we aim to understand how attentional resources are allocated and how task interference differs by modality. Results will provide insight into the cognitive limits of attention and have practical implications for multitasking in everyday situations.

Waldo or Wal-don't: A Study in Attention and Multitasking

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