Authors
Eleanor R A Hyde, Robert Schmidt, Daniel J Carroll, Claudia C von Bastian
Published in
Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance. Oct 29, 2026. Epub Oct 29, 2026.
Abstract
The cognitive mechanism underlying high performance during decision-making under pressure-such as in first-person shooter games-is still unclear: advantages in multitasking or general processing speed? To resolve this, we classified N = 230 players (16-34 years) of the video game Counter-Strike into four expertise clusters (Novice, Skilled, Emerging, and Expert), assessing their processing speed and task-switching performance. To better understand the source of expertise effects, we used drift-diffusion modeling to estimate nondecision and decision components of performance. Experts exhibited significantly faster reaction times than Novices, but no specific multitasking advantage was observed. The drift-diffusion modeling revealed that this speed advantage was driven by higher drift rates and shorter nondecision times. No expertise-related differences were found in boundary separation, the strategic component of decision-making. Findings suggest that expert performance in decision-making under pressure is characterized by advantages in general processing speed rather than being associated with greater multitasking capabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
PMID:
42956230
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Oct 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 9
- Comments 0