Crossmodal attention
This article may be too technical for most readers to understand.(November 2012) |
Crossmodal attention refers to the distribution of attention to different senses.
A primary concern for
Deficits caused by crossmodal attention
As cross-modal attention requires attending to two or more types of sensory information simultaneously, attentional resources are typically divided unequally. It has been suggested by most research that this divided attention can result in more attentional deficits than benefits. This has raised the question as to the effectiveness of multitasking and the potential dangers associated with it. Significant amounts of delay in reaction times are present when various distractions across modalities occur.[9] In real-life situations these slower reaction times can result in dangerous situations. Recent concerns in the media on this topic revolve around the topic of cellphone usage while driving. Studies have found that processing, and therefore attending to, auditory information can impair the simultaneous processing of visual information.[10] This suggests that attending to the auditory information from cellphone usage while driving will impair a driver's visual attention and ability to drive. This would result in the endangering of the driver, passengers of the driver, pedestrians, and other drivers and their passengers. Similar studies have examined how visual attention is affected by auditory stimuli as it relates to hemispatial neglect,[4] responses to cuing,[5] and general spatial processing.[2] The majority of this research suggests that multitasking and dividing attention, while possible, degrade the quality of the directed attention. This also suggests that attention is a limited resource that cannot be infinitely divided between modalities and tasks.
Benefits
While research on cross-modal attention has found that deficits in attending often occur, this research has led to a better understanding of attentional processing. Some studies have used positron emission tomography (PET) to examine the neurological basis for how we selectively attend to information using different sensory modalities.
In addition to greater general understanding of attention, other benefits of crossmodal attention have been found. Studies show that reinforcing information through more than one modality can increase learning.[11] This would support the traditional theory that pairing auditory and visual stimuli that communicate the same information improves processing and memory.
See also
- Attention
- Cocktail party effect
- Cognition
- Crossmodal
- Distraction
- Human multitasking
- Mobile phones and driving safety
- Perception
- Psychology
- Stimulus modality
References
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- ^ PMID 11884351.
- ^ PMID 9635209. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
- ^ S2CID 7545178.
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- PMID 21148089.
- PMID 3156957.
- ^ CHEN, X. (2012). "Interaction between endogenous and exogenous orienting in crossmodal attention". Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53(4), 303-308.
- ^ S2CID 3170458. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
- PMID 23047918.