According to capacity theories of attention, performance limitations in divided attention tasks arise because:

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Question restatement: According to capacity theories of attention, performance limitations in divided attention tasks arise because:

Option 1: There is a limit on the amount of neural structure we can activate to process stimuli
- This aligns with capacity theories, which posit that cognitive processing relies on a limited pool of resources. When many stimuli must be processed at once, the total available processing capacity is exceeded, leading to reduced performance. The idea emphasizes a finite amount of neural resources that can be mobilized, which is central to capacity-based explanations.

Option 2: Stimuli in divided attention tasks compete for the same neural structures
- This statement is related but subtly shifts the emphasis. It highlights competition for neural structures, which is a plausible mechanism underlying limited resources. However, capacity theories are more broadly about a finite resource pool rather than a strict one-to-one claim about competition for particular structures. Some versions of the theory describe interference due to shared resources, but the core assertion is the fixed total capacity, not necessarily the precise neural “competition” framing described here.

Option 3: The semantic analysis system imposes a processing bottleneck on performance
- This describes a bottleneck at the semantic analysis stage, which is more characteristic of bottleneck or serial-processing theories rather than general capacity theories. Capacity theories allow multiple tasks to draw on shared resources simultaneously up to a limit; attributing the limit to semantic analysis specifically imposes a stage-specific constraint rather than a general resource limitation.

Option 4: The sensory analysis system imposes a processing bottleneck on performance
- This similarly targets a particular stage (sensory analysis) as the bottleneck. While sensory processing can be a limiting factor, capacity theories focus on the overall finite resource pool driving divided-attention costs, not a fixed bottleneck in sensory analysis alone. This option therefore misplaces the locus of the limitation within a single subsystem.

Overall, option 1 foregrounds the core idea of capacity theories—the existence of a finite amount of processing resources that can be allocated to stimuli. Option 2 captures a related mechanism (shared resources leading to interference) but is more specific about neural competition and does not state the fundamental resource limitation as plainly. Options 3 and 4 point to distinct bottleneck concepts anchored in stage-specific processing, which are not the central claim of capacity theories for divided attention.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 Week 6: Attention: Structure, Capacity and Control

According to capacity theories of attention, performance limitations in divided attention tasks arise because:

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