背景及目的：雙重作業常被用來評估從事某種動作之注意力需求。許多前人的研究也顯示，包括站立以及走路等平衡控制都需要注意力。本篇研究的主要目的乃在探討同時從事另一項工作對動態平衡的影響；更進一步，研究者也想比較兩種不同智能工作對快速走路及狹窄步道走路能力之影響。方法：十四位年輕人自願參與這項研究。主要動態平衡動作包括：a)在三十英呎的步道上快速行走；與b)在三十英呎的狹窄步道上快速行走。兩種認知工作包括：a)快速倒算數學，每次減三；與b)快速念出不同的動物名稱。包括基準點的測試，受試者總共會經過八種測試情況，每個情況作三次，求取其平均值做為分析之用。統計方法使用的是多變數分析重複型評量。結果：本篇研究發現，走路速度在從事雙重作業時明顯變得更慢。進一步分析更發現，雙重作業只有使得狹窄步道的走路速度變慢情形更加明顯。至於智能工作的測量，我們發現，在從事雙重作業時，智能工作的表現速度比基準點快些，但遇到必須走在狹窄步道時，則智能工作之表現速度又變慢了，但是這些改變並沒有達到統計上的明顯差異。結論：雙重作業會使得走路速度變慢，尤其是在步道寬度受到限制時特別明顯。這樣的結果也顯示，快速行走狹窄步道需要更多的注意力，使得人們不得不減慢他們的走路速度，以維持其他方面的表現。

背景及目的：雙重作業常被用來評估從事某種動作之注意力需求。許多前人的研究也顯示，包括站立以及走路等平衡控制都需要注意力。本篇研究的主要目的乃在探討同時從事另一項工作對動態平衡的影響；更進一步，研究者也想比較兩種不同智能工作對快速走路及狹窄步道走路能力之影響。方法：十四位年輕人自願參與這項研究。主要動態平衡動作包括：a)在三十英呎的步道上快速行走；與b)在三十英呎的狹窄步道上快速行走。兩種認知工作包括：a)快速倒算數學，每次減三；與b)快速念出不同的動物名稱。包括基準點的測試，受試者總共會經過八種測試情況，每個情況作三次，求取其平均值做為分析之用。統計方法使用的是多變數分析重複型評量。結果：本篇研究發現，走路速度在從事雙重作業時明顯變得更慢。進一步分析更發現，雙重作業只有使得狹窄步道的走路速度變慢情形更加明顯。至於智能工作的測量，我們發現，在從事雙重作業時，智能工作的表現速度比基準點快些，但遇到必須走在狹窄步道時，則智能工作之表現速度又變慢了，但是這些改變並沒有達到統計上的明顯差異。結論：雙重作業會使得走路速度變慢，尤其是在步道寬度受到限制時特別明顯。這樣的結果也顯示，快速行走狹窄步道需要更多的注意力，使得人們不得不減慢他們的走路速度，以維持其他方面的表現。
Background and purposes: Dual task methodology is a technique that has been used to assess the attention demands of a given primary motor task including balance activities. Researchers have reported that performance on a secondary task deteriorates when adults perform a demanding balance task such as standing on a moving force plate. Other studies have shown that gait speed decreases when a secondary task is performed. The purpose was to investigate, in young adults, the effects of performing a secondary task on gait. Specifically, we wanted to compare the effects of two different cognitive tasks (an arithmetic task and a memory task) on unrestricted fast walking and on narrow path walking. Methods: Fourteen young adults were asked to perform concurrently, a dynamic balance primary task and a cognitive secondary task. The primary tasks were two different walking tasks: a) fast walking along a 30 feet walkway and b) narrow path walking on the same walkway with a requirement to walk between two lines on the floor. The secondary tasks were two different cognitive tasks: a) doing simple arithmetic task as fast as possible, and b) reciting as many animal names as possible. Performance on each primary task was measured tinder three conditions: baseline (no secondary task). while performing the arithmetic task, and while performing the memory task. Two-way repeated measure ANOVA was conducted on the gait speed and the secondary task performance speed. Results: There was a significant task*walking path interaction in gait speed measurement (p<0.05). Post-hoc analysis showed that there was a significant difference in gait speed for the fast walking trials when the cognitive tasks were added (p=0.002). For the narrow path walking condition, how ever, the gait speeds for the dual task trials were even slower than for the baseline condition (p<0.000). Besides, a significant task*test condition interaction was found for the performance speed measurement of the cognitive tasks (p<0.001). Under the dual task condition for fast walking, the performance speed of the secondary task was slightly greater than that during the baseline condition. How ever, under the dual task condition for narrow path walking, performance speed decreased as compared to the fast walking condition. We also found that the arithmetic task made the subjects to walk slower as compared to when they were reciting the animal names (p<0.05). Conclusion: For our subjects the gait speed significantly decreased when a secondary task was added especially in the case of narrow path walking. This suggests that narrow path xa1king is a more sensitive test of gait than fast walking test tinder the conditions with divided attention.