EFFECT OF FREQUENCY RATIO AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ON SPATIAL COUPLING - A STUDY OF ATTENTION

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the interference between two drawing tasks. Fifteen participants drew lines (horizontal or ver tical) and circles simultaneously on two digitizer boards to measure t he interference (called spatial coupling) of line drawing on circle dr awing. In Experiment 1, the drawing of circles and lines was timed by two beeps of different pitches in simple rhythms and polyrhythms. Resu lts showed that spatial coupling was affected by the frequency ratio a s indicated in the Farey Series. In Experiment 2, a dot in circular or linear motion was displayed while the dual task was carried out. Part icipants followed the timing shown in the display. The spatial couplin g from line drawing to circle drawing was reduced when a dot in circul ar motion was displayed, and it was increased when the dot was moving in a straight line. The results we discuss are within the locus of int erference and the limits of attention.