Dividing attention between auditory and visual perception

Abstract

To what extent is simultaneous visual and auditory perception subject to capacity limitations and attentional control? Two experiments addressed this question by asking observers to recognize test tones and test letters under selective and divided attention. In Experiment 1, both stimuli occurred on each trial, but subjects were cued in advance to process just one or both of the stimuli. In Experiment 2, subjects processed one stimulus and then the other or processed both stimuli simultaneously. Processing time was controlled using a backward recognition masking task. A significant, but small, attention effect was found in both experiments. The present positive results weaken the interpretation that previous attentional effects were due to the particular duration judgment task that was employed. The answer to the question addressed by the experiments appears to be that the degree of capacity limitations and attentional control during visual and auditory perception is small but significant. © 1977 Psychonomic Society, Inc.