According to Wickens, we can attend to more than one piece of information if the tasks are not similar.

• A. If tasks are difficult
• B. If tasks are not similar
• C. If tasks are highly practiced
• D. If tasks are completely automatic

Answer: (B)

Attention is limited and can be drawn from multiple resource pools. Wickens’ multiple-resource theory says there are separate resources for different modalities and processing codes. When two tasks don’t rely on the same resources, they interfere less with each other and can be attended to at the same time. So, if the tasks are not similar—meaning they use different perception channels or processing processes—you can handle both streams of information together.

For example, one task might use visual-spatial processing while another uses verbal processing. Because these rely on different resources, you can process both concurrently with less interference.

The other options don’t predict parallel attention as reliably. Difficulty generally increases demand on the same resources and can heighten interference. High practice can reduce the attentional load of a task but doesn’t guarantee that two different pieces of information will be processed simultaneously. Automatic tasks require little attention, but that alone isn’t what determines the ability to attend to multiple sources of information.