Roche, Richard and Commins, Sean and Agnew, Francis and Cassidy, Sarah and Corapi, Kristin and Leibbrand, Sandra and Lipson, Zoë and Rickard, Jonathan and Sorohan, Jean and Wynne, Ciara and O'Mara, Shane (2007) Concurrent task performance enhances low-level visuomotor learning. Perception & Psychophysics, 69 (4). pp. 513-522. ISSN 1532-5962

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Abstract

Visuomotor association learning involves learning to make a motor response to an arbitrary visual stimulus. This learning is essential for visual search and discrimination performance and is reliant upon a well-defined neural circuit in the brain that includes the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampal formation. In the present study, we investigated the possible role of attentional processes during such learning using dual-task interference. A motor, verbal, or perceptual concurrent task was performed during the learning/training block of a simple visual discrimination task. Contrary to expectation, the dual-task groups showed improved learning and learning-dependent performance compared with untrained control and non-dual-task trained groups. A second experiment revealed that this effect did not appear to be due to increased arousal level; the inclusion of alerting tones during learning did not result in facilitation. These findings suggest that the engagement of attention, but not arousal, during the acquisition of a visuomotor association can facilitate this learning and its expression.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: Roche, R.A.P., Commins, S., Agnew, F. et al. Perception & Psychophysics (2007) 69: 513. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193908
Keywords:	Dual Task; Visual Discrimination; Trinity College; Concurrent Task; Training Block;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	10694
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193908
Depositing User:	Richard Roche
Date Deposited:	05 Apr 2019 16:38
Journal or Publication Title:	Perception & Psychophysics
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	https://link.springer.com
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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