Attention and Multitasking Flashcards
6 cards from real FEAST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Attention and Multitasking flashcards as text
An attentional blink occurs when:
Answer: A second target is missed if it appears within 200–500 ms of a first target in a rapid stream
Attentional blink is a psychological phenomenon where a second target in a rapid visual stream is missed if it appears shortly after the first.
A candidate scores well on focused attention tests (single task) but poorly on divided attention tests (two simultaneous tasks). This pattern most likely indicates:
Answer: Strong single-task performance but limited attentional spare capacity for concurrent demands
This pattern shows the candidate can concentrate but has limited capacity to distribute attention across simultaneous tasks — a significant gap for ATC work.
A controller monitoring radar for 45 minutes notices their detection rate for level deviations has dropped from 95% to 70%. This change most likely reflects:
Answer: Vigilance decrement — a natural decline in detection performance over sustained monitoring periods
The vigilance decrement is a well-documented cognitive phenomenon where detection performance declines over extended monotonous monitoring periods.
In a multitasking assessment, a candidate is required to: (1) monitor a screen for targets, (2) respond to auditory signals, and (3) track a moving cursor. The task that should receive absolute top priority when resources are insufficient is:
Answer: Whichever task the examiner has explicitly designated as highest priority
In FEAST assessments and real ATC, explicit priority designations define task hierarchy — controllers do not invent priorities autonomously.
The 'task-switching cost' in attention research refers to:
Answer: The performance penalty (slower reaction time or more errors) incurred when switching from one task to another
Task-switching cost is the measurable performance decrement (slower responses, more errors) that occurs when attention switches between different task types.
A controller has been on duty for 90 minutes without a break. Compared to their performance at the start of the shift, their sustained attention performance is most likely to show:
Answer: Reduced hit rates for rare targets and slower response times due to fatigue and vigilance decrement
Sustained attention and vigilance degrade over extended periods without breaks, resulting in lower hit rates and slower responses.