More on attention helping us perceive a coherent world.
{Divided attention} is possible only when {you have the resources needed for both tasks}, which depends on the {nature} and {novelty} of the task.
Divided attention depends on specificity of resources: {similar} tasks compete for {similar} resources and diminish performance.
You can divide your attention well between {remembering pictures} and shadowing a voice; moderately well between {remembering written words} and shadowing a voice; and quite poorly between {remembering words spoken in one ear} while shadowing a voice in the other. (Allport, Altoni, and Reynolds, 1972)
Divided attention depends on general resources: dissimilar tasks can also {compete and diminish performance}, e.g. {talking on a phone while driving causes errors}.
Examples of task-general resources which can impede divided attention include {response selection} and {executive control}.
{Practice} can support divided attention by {diminishing resource demands for some tasks}
{Automaticity} is processing which occurs {without intention} and {with a cost of little or no cognitive resources}, in contrast to {controlled tasks}.
Q. How do automatic and controlled tasks differ with respect to interference?
A. Automatic tasks are resistant to interference; controlled tasks are interferable.
Q. How do automatic and controlled tasks differ with respect to flexibility requirements?
A. Automatic tasks typically require little flexibility; tasks which require flexibility are usually controlled.
Q. What’s the pair of examples COGS101B gives for tasks which can eventually become automatic vs. those which never do?
A. Finding a target number among distractor letters vs. finding a target letter