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Abstract

Attention allocation to visual and auditory channels under high-information load was examined by recording event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Ten subjects monitored an audiovisual display of intermittent 2-degree circles presented centrally and 1000-Hz tones presented binaurally. Subjects had to detect targets in both channels while dividing attention to ecah channel in varying proportions. Each subject had a minimum of 20 hours practice at the task. POC analysis indicated a tradeoff in processing resources between the visual and auditory channels. The N160 and P250 components of the visual ERP, and a slow negative shift potential associated with the auditory N100 component, varied in amplitude as processing resources were allocated to the visual or auditory channel. Both these sets of results were obtained only when stimuli were presented at a fast rate. The results suggest that intermodality divided attention influences both modality-specific and modality-nonspecific ERP components in practised subjects under high-information load conditions. The implications of the results for models of processing resources and the evaluation of mental workload are discussed.

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Event-Related Brain Potentials and Intermodal Divided Attention

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