The Effect of Asymmetric Transfer on Dual-Task Assessment of Voice Technology

Abstract

This experiment examines tne effect of asymmetric transfer on multiple-task performance in a voice technology study. Male subjects performed a mental arithmetic and a visual memory task alone and together. Stimuli for the mental arithmetic task were presented either visually or auditorily; responses were made either vocally or manually. Stimuli for the visual memory task were always presented visually; responses were always made manually. Preliminary analyses revealed a number of statistically significant effects favoring auditory input and speech response. However, these analyses also revealed asymmetric transfer between response conditions. When the data affected by the asymmetric transfer were eliminated from subsequent analyses, no significant advantages for speech over manual response were found. The significance of these results for voice technology studies is discussed.