Effects of visual storage and spatial processing on pursuit tracking: Task interference in the cockpit

Visual tracking is the ability to visually follow moving targets and often involves pursuit tracking where actions from the body are made in response to visual input from the environment. Visual and pursuit tracking are used in everyday life (e.g., watching a bird fly, catching a ball), and in complex tasks like piloting aircraft (e.g., flying in formation, instrument flight). The present work examines how working memory supports pursuit tracking to better understand what does and does not interfere with pursuit tracking. In two experiments, secondary tasks designed to selectively tap visuospatial storage and processing in working memory were tested for task demands. In the following two experiments participants completed a computer-based pursuit-tracking task paired with secondary visuospatial storage and processing tasks. The secondary processing task interfered with pursuit tracking whereas the secondary storage task did not. Implications for working memory research and formultitasking in the cockpit are discussed.