Task alternation cost without task alternation: Measuring intentionality

Yehene, Einat; Meiran, Nachshon; Soroker, Nachum

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.03.010

Cited by 17 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…One half of this double dissociation is provided in the current results, showing that some manipulations produced dramatic influences on the RT-TRCE while not affecting the PE-TRCE. The second half of the double dissociation is afforded by Yehene et al (2005), who studied the neurological patient AF. When compared with controls, this patient exhibited drastically enlarged PE-TRCE.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The task rule congruency effect in task switching reflects activated long-term memory.

Meiran¹,

Kessler²

2008

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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119

156

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Reaction time task rule congruency effects (RT-TRCEs) reflect faster responses to stimuli for which the competing task rules indicate the same correct response than to stimuli indicating conflicting responses. The authors tested the hypothesis that RT-TRCE reflects activated overlearned response category codes in long-term memory (such as up or left). The results support the hypothesis by showing that (a) RT-TRCE was absent for tasks for which there were no response codes ready beforehand, (b) RT-TRCE was present after these tasks were practiced, and (c) these practice effects were found only if the tasks permitted forming abstract response category codes. The increase in the RT-TRCE with response slowness, found only for familiar tasks, suggests that the abstract response category codes may be verbal or linguistic in these cases. The results are discussed in relation to task-switching theories and prefrontal functions.Keywords: task switching, working memory, congruency, practice, prefrontal functions Working memory (WM) and task switching are two core executive functions. Their interrelationships have been studied by means of a variety of approaches. These include examinations of WM load effects on task-switching performance (Baddeley, Chincotta, & Adlam, 2001;Emerson & Miyake, 2003), comparing WM span for tasks with WM span of items (Logan, 2004), individual differences studies (e.g., Miyake et al., 2000), and cognitive theorizing (e.g., Logan & Gordon, 2001;Mayr & Kliegl, 2000;Sohn & Anderson, 2001). The present study suggests an as-of-yet unrecognized link between these two functions by focusing on a highly replicable but poorly understood phenomenon from the task-switching literature, the task rule congruency effect (TRCE). In the remainder of the introduction, we review the literature on the TRCE and suggest a WM account for it. The experiments reported in this article provide additional crucial evidence that support our account.Task Switching and the TRCE Researchers interested in task control often use the taskswitching paradigm. The rationale for this choice is straightforward. Performance in stable conditions without task switching can be done in an "automatic pilot" mode, with little need for active control. This luxury is unavailable when there are frequent task switches. Most of the research has concentrated on the various costs associated with task switching (Fagot, 1994;Jersild, 1927; Monsell & Driver, 2000). However, additional highly replicable effects have also been found, and understanding their basis is likely to shed light on how control is accomplished (cf. Altmann, 2003). In the present work, we concentrate on the TRCE. This effect is among the most reliable found in task-switching experiments, yet relatively little work has been done to unravel its causes.To the best of our knowledge, Sudevan and Taylor (1987) were the first to demonstrate the TRCE in the context of task switching. The participants in their experiments responded to single digits and switched between two classification t...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The task rule congruency effect in task switching reflects activated long-term memory.

Meiran¹,

Kessler²

2008

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

Self Cite

119

156

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The costs have also been shown to activate different brain regions (Braver et al, 2003) and to be differentially affected by experimental manipulations (e.g., Steinhauser & Hü bner, 2005). Additionally, mixing cost is present even without task switching (Yehene, Meiran, & Soroker, 2005), whereas switching cost seems to depend on actual switching (Schuch & Koch, 2003).…”

Section: Indices Of Executive Functioning In the Task Switching Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paradigm is the same as that used by Yehene et al (2005). The stimuli were filled in gray color and were either a small/large circle (with a diameter subtending a visual angle of approximately 1.4°or 3.0°) or a small/large square (each side subtending 1.4°or 3.0°).…”

Section: Shape/size Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, the correlations with general ability were moderate but significant. The fact that mixing cost showed a moderate degree of generality may be explained by the fact that it represents strategic sustained (Braver et al, 2003) and intentional control (Yehene et al, 2005) as well as the general ability to quickly make a task decision (Koch et al, 2005;Rubin & Meiran, 2005).…”

Section: Structural Equations Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is there a general task switching ability?

Yehene

Meiran

2007

Acta Psychologica

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Participants were tested on two analogous task switching paradigms involving Shape/Size tasks and Vertical/Horizontal tasks, respectively, and three measures of psychometric intelligence, tapping fluid, crystallized and perceptual speed abilities. The paradigms produced similar patterns of group mean reaction times (RTs) and the vast majority of the participants showed switching cost (switch RT minus repeat RT), mixing cost (repeat RT minus single-task RT) and congruency effects. The shared intra-individual variance across paradigms and with psychometric intelligence served as criteria for general ability. Structural equations modeling indicated that switching cost with ample preparation (''residual cost'') and mixing cost met these criteria. However, switching cost with little preparation and congruency effects were predominantly paradigm specific.

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“…Second, congruency effects are increased in conditions where task switching does not involve (or involves less) suppression of the abandoned task set (Arbuthnott, 2005). Third, participants who anticipate a task switch (but do not execute such a switch) show RT congruency effects, whereas participants who do not expect a switch (and also do not switch) do not show these effects (Yehene, Meiran, & Soroker, 2005), suggesting that the source of conflict originates with configuring the appropriate task set rather than determining a particular response. Finally, using a computational model of task switching, Brown et al (2006) explicitly suggest that the conflict in incongruent trials is resolved by enhancing task-related representations.…”

Section: What Type Of Response Conflict Is Involved?mentioning

confidence: 98%

The Cerebellum Mediates Conflict Resolution

Schweizer¹,

Oriet²,

Meiran³

et al. 2007

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

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Abstract& Regions within the frontal and parietal cortex have been implicated as important neural correlates for cognitive control during conflict resolution. Despite the extensive reciprocal connectivity between the cerebellum and these putatively critical cortical areas, a role for the cerebellum in conflict resolution has never been identified. We used a task-switching paradigm that separates processes related to task-set switching and the management of response conflict independent of motor processing. Eleven patients with chronic, focal lesions to the cerebellum and 11 healthy controls were compared. Patients were slower and less accurate in conditions involving conflict resolution. In the absence of response conflict, however, taskswitching abilities were not impaired in our patients. The cerebellum may play an important role in coordinating with other areas of cortex to modulate active response states. These results are the first demonstration of impaired conflict resolution following cerebellar lesions in the presence of an intact prefrontal cortex. &

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Task alternation cost without task alternation: Measuring intentionality

Cited by 17 publications

References 22 publications

The task rule congruency effect in task switching reflects activated long-term memory.

The task rule congruency effect in task switching reflects activated long-term memory.

Is there a general task switching ability?

The Cerebellum Mediates Conflict Resolution

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