Perceptual style and dual-task performance as a function of task difficulty and task emphasis.

Differences in dual-task performance by field-dependent and field-independent college students were investigated. The perceptual styles of the 102 subjects were determined by their performance on the Rod-and-Frame Test. Dual-task performance required the subjects to perform concurrently a central tracking task and a peripheral light-detection task. The effect of stress on dual-task performance was examined by employing three widely differing levels of tracking task difficulty. Three sets of instructions varied the relative importance of the two tasks within the dual-task situation. Both manipulation of task difficulty and instructional set had powerful effects on performance. However, performance differences among subjects with differing perceptual styles were found only on the central tracking task, with field-independent subjects consistently outperforming field-dependent ones. The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical basis for the perceptual style of field-dependence/field-independence as well as the potential value of this dimension in dual-task situations.