A Computational Multiple Resource Theory Approach to Modeling Dual-Task Interference in VR: The Roles of Resource Demand, Resource Conflict, Visual Angle Separation, and Task Priority

Understanding the factors that drive dual-task interference—the performance decline when two tasks are performed concurrently—is critical for designing effective interfaces in multitasking environments such as health care and aviation. This study examines the influence of resource conflict, visual angle separation, and task priority on dual-task interference. Data was collected from 39 participants performing a visual tracking task and a digit task in virtual reality (VR). Using Multiple Resource Theory’s (MRT) computational model, an iterative approach was employed to evaluate each factor’s contribution. Incorporating resource conflict improved model fit over a demand-only baseline, and adding a visual penalty to account for angle separation further enhanced prediction accuracy. Task-specific results showed greater interference in the digit task, suggesting that task priority influences susceptibility to interference. Overall, the results highlight the importance of incorporating resource conflict and perceptual factors, such as visual angle separation, into computational models of dual-task interference.