Divided attention refers to the cognitive ability to focus on multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously. This involves distributing cognitive resources to handle more than one source of information or activity at the same time. While it's somewhat possible to manage several tasks, performance on any individual task may decline due to the limited capacity of our cognitive resources.
Example: A common example of divided attention is when a person tries to have a conversation with someone while also watching television. In this situation, the individual is splitting their focus between processing the conversation and following the plot of the show, which may lead to difficulties in fully engaging with either task. Another example is driving a car while talking on a phone; drivers may find it hard to concentrate fully on the road when their attention is also on the conversation, potentially increasing the risk of accidents.