Redundant Color Coding and Keeping-Track Performance

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to determine if performance on a keeping-track task could be enhanced by redundantly coding the displayed information channels that were being updated. At set intervals, the subject was interrogated about the status of any one of the information channels. The information consisted of numbers, colors, or numbers on a colored background, the last being the redundantly coded material. The three variables studied were channel value, payoff ratio, and coding condition. Results indicated that redundant coding did not aid performance; rather, it provided the subjects extra cues and increased the number of strategies that were used. As in previous studies, selective attention to the high-valued channels was a function of channel value and payoff ratio.