A new theoretical framework, executive-process interactive control (EPIC), is introduced for characterizing human performance of concurrent perceptual-motor and cognitive tasks. On the basis of EPIC, computational models may be formulated to simulate multiple-task performance under a variety of circumstances. These models account well for reaction-time data from representative situations such as the psychological refractory-period procedure. EPIC's goodness of fit supports several key conclusions: (a) At a cognitive level, people can apply distinct sets of production rules simultaneously for executing the procedures of multiple tasks; (b) people's capacity to process information at “peripheral” perceptual-motor levels is limited; (c) to cope with such limits and to satisfy task priorities, flexible scheduling strategies are used; and (d) these strategies are mediated by executive cognitive processes that coordinate concurrent tasks adaptively.
%0 Journal Article
%1 citeulike:2688296
%A Meyer, David E.
%A Kieras, David E.
%D 1997
%J Psychological Review
%K cognitive-architecture, models, multi-tasking
%N 1
%P 3--65
%R 10.1037/0033-295X.104.1.3
%T A Computational Theory of Executive Cognitive Processes and Multiple-Task Performance
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.104.1.3
%V 104
%X A new theoretical framework, executive-process interactive control (EPIC), is introduced for characterizing human performance of concurrent perceptual-motor and cognitive tasks. On the basis of EPIC, computational models may be formulated to simulate multiple-task performance under a variety of circumstances. These models account well for reaction-time data from representative situations such as the psychological refractory-period procedure. EPIC's goodness of fit supports several key conclusions: (a) At a cognitive level, people can apply distinct sets of production rules simultaneously for executing the procedures of multiple tasks; (b) people's capacity to process information at “peripheral” perceptual-motor levels is limited; (c) to cope with such limits and to satisfy task priorities, flexible scheduling strategies are used; and (d) these strategies are mediated by executive cognitive processes that coordinate concurrent tasks adaptively.
@article{citeulike:2688296,
abstract = {A new theoretical framework, executive-process interactive control (EPIC), is introduced for characterizing human performance of concurrent perceptual-motor and cognitive tasks. On the basis of EPIC, computational models may be formulated to simulate multiple-task performance under a variety of circumstances. These models account well for reaction-time data from representative situations such as the psychological refractory-period procedure. EPIC's goodness of fit supports several key conclusions: (a) At a cognitive level, people can apply distinct sets of production rules simultaneously for executing the procedures of multiple tasks; (b) people's capacity to process information at “peripheral” perceptual-motor levels is limited; (c) to cope with such limits and to satisfy task priorities, flexible scheduling strategies are used; and (d) these strategies are mediated by executive cognitive processes that coordinate concurrent tasks adaptively.},
added-at = {2009-04-03T18:46:37.000+0200},
author = {Meyer, David E. and Kieras, David E.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/22b0efd0bb0cd3a6f9137b386d568cfd1/acslab},
citeulike-article-id = {2688296},
doi = {10.1037/0033-295X.104.1.3},
interhash = {edd9ec497246260744aa06a83000489a},
intrahash = {2b0efd0bb0cd3a6f9137b386d568cfd1},
journal = {Psychological Review},
keywords = {cognitive-architecture, models, multi-tasking},
month = {January},
number = 1,
pages = {3--65},
posted-at = {2008-04-18 17:20:47},
priority = {2},
timestamp = {2009-04-03T18:46:38.000+0200},
title = {A Computational Theory of Executive Cognitive Processes and Multiple-Task Performance},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.104.1.3},
volume = 104,
year = 1997
}