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Effects of alcohol and extended practice on divided-attention performance

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Maylor, Elizabeth A., Rabbitt, Patrick, James, G. H. and Kerr, S. A.. (1990) Effects of alcohol and extended practice on divided-attention performance. Perception & Psychophysics, Vol.48 (No.5). pp. 445-452. ISSN 0031-5117

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Abstract

The effects of alcohol and extended practice on divided attention were investigated using a visual tracking task and an auditory detection task. Subjects performed the tasks with and without alcohol, under single-task (S) and dual-task (D) conditions, both before and after they had received extended practice under single-task conditions without alcohol. Tracking accuracy improved with practice and was impaired under divided-attention conditions but was not affected by alcohol. Speed of detection was impaired by alcohol, improved by practice, and impaired by divided attention. Extended practice did not reduce the influence of alcohol. The effects of both alcohol and practice on speed of detection were significantly greater under dual-task conditions than under single-task conditions. Analysis of detection-task reaction times in terms of relative dividedattention costs, (D-SVS, showed no effect of alcohol, but a highly significant reduction in costs with extended practice. It is concluded that (1) alcohol and practice can have quantitatively, but not qualitatively, similar effects on speeded performance, and (2) the effect of alcohol is not influenced by the attentional requirements of the task.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Alcohol -- Physiological effect, Human information processing -- Effect of drugs on , Attention, Visual perception, Auditory perception, Distraction (Psychology)
Journal or Publication Title: Perception & Psychophysics
Publisher: Springer New York LLC
ISSN: 0031-5117
Date: 1990
Volume: Vol.48
Number: No.5
Page Range: pp. 445-452
Identification Number: 10.3758/BF03211588
Status: Peer Reviewed
Funder: Medical Research Council of Great Britain (MRC)
Grant number: G8221479N (MRC)
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URI: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/35803

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