Divided Attention
When we need to pay attention to two physically separate objects or locations at a time, we often divide our attention. Our research has shown that observers can flexibly deploy attention either as a unitary or a divided focus of attention in the same experimental task, depending solely on the observers’ goals (Jefferies, Enns, & Di Lollo, 2014). We have also shown that divided attention takes time to develop and that it can be maintained only briefly (Jefferies & Witt, 2019). Currently, our research focuses on identifying the conditions under which people deploy attention in divided or unitary mode.
Selected Research on Divided Attention:
Jefferies, L.N., Ambrose, M. & Di Lollo, V. (2020). What factors influence the switch from unitary
to divided attention? Psychological Research (online first). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-021-01500-x
Jefferies, L. N., & Witt, J. B. (2019). First unitary, then divided: the temporal dynamics of dividing
attention. Psychological Research, 83, 1426-1443. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-018-1018-3
Jefferies, L.N., Enns, J.T., & Di Lollo, V. (2014). The Flexible Focus: Whether spatial attention is unitary or divided depends on observer goals. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception and Performance, 40(2), 465-470.
Jefferies, L.N., & Yantis, S. (2010). Unitary vs. multiple attentional loci reflect space-based vs. object-based modes of attention.
Visual Cognition, 18, 1510 – 1514.
