1. Resource Demands of a Dual-Task Disrupts
Skilled Typing
Rebecca M. Colon, Lawrence P. Behmer Jr. & Matthew J. C. Crump
Brooklyn College of The City University of New York
References:
1. Beilock, S. L., Carr, T. H., MacMahon, C., & Starkes, J. L. (2002). When paying attention becomes counterproductive: Impact of divided versus skill-focused attention
on novice and experienced performance of sensorimotor skills. Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8(1), 6-16.
2. Crump, M. J.C. & Logan, G.D. (2010). Hierarchical control and skilled typing: Evidence for word level control over the execution of individual keystrokes. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 36, 1369-1380.
3. Logan, G. D., & Crump, M. J. C. (2011). Hierarchical Control of Cognitive Processes: The Case for Skilled Typewriting. The Psychology of Learning and Motivation.
(54), 1-27.
4. Pashler, H. (1994). Dual-task interference in simple tasks: Data and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 116(2), 220-244.
How do people generalize their motor skills
across familiar and novel situations?
Measuring the controlled or automatic basis of
generalization using dual-task pressure
Typists generalize on a controlled basis when producing
unfamiliar letter strings
Dual-task pressure led to slower typing speed for
familiar and unfamiliar letter strings
Typing unfamiliar strings requires
limited cognitive resources
Dual-task may distract typists from
focusing too much on the needed
actions, enabling learned routines to
fluidly guide responding (Beilock, Carr,
MacMahon, & Starkes, 2002).
Skills require resources or present
attention and that by simply taking it away
there will be a decline in performance
(Pashler, 1994).
37 Undergraduate Students
Received Credit for Participation
• Typists produced English-like strings faster than random strings,
suggesting that generalization can be influenced by n-gram
frequency.
• Limitations of generalizing on a controlled basis are not well
understood; and are likely partly supported by environmental cues.
OR
OR
Change to green as key
presses were logged
For a total
of 10
“words”
Dual-Task Block
Baseline Block
Novelty
Familiar
English-like
Random
People can prepare their actions
? ?
? ? ? ? ?
Experts can rely on established motor routines
ControlledAutomatic
Slow
Effortful
Fast
Effortless
• Thinking about actions and
their consequences is
required
• Limited by cognitive
resources
• Thinking is not required
• Overthinking about actions
can disrupt performance and
interfere with established
routines
Beilock, Carr, MacMahon, & Starkes, 2002.
Laboratory model: Skilled Typing
• Skilled typists know how to quickly and accurately
type individual letters on the keyboard
• How do they generalize this knowledge when typing
familiar to novel strings of letters?
• Do typists generalize on a controlled or automatic
basis?
Typing unfamiliar strings relies on
established routines
hello
trypo
zxmgk
15975
35795
35795
*****
Please enter the number
using the numberpad.
hello
Supported by:
National Science Foundation
Award #1156870 & #1353360
ReactionTime(ms)Inter-keystrokeInterval(ms)
Reaction Time:
Time to type first
letter in string.
Measured as
milliseconds
elapsed between
visual onset of the
string and first
keypress
IKSI:
Average time in
milliseconds
between keystrokes
for all letters in a
string.