Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Divided attention refers to the ability to process two or more responses or react to two or more different demands simultaneously.
Related terms
Multitasking: The performance of multiple tasks at one time, which often requires divided attention.
Attentional Blink: A brief period after perceiving one stimulus during which it is difficult to attend fully to another stimulus.
Dual-task interference: A decline in performance of one or both tasks when they are performed simultaneously, due largely to limitations in divided attention.