The role of verbal short-term memory in task selection: How articulatory suppression influences task choice in voluntary task switching

Weywadt, Christina R.; Butler, Karin M.

doi:10.3758/s13423-012-0349-0

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In similar applied conditions, task switching appears to be reduced when the overall mental workload of the task ensemble is increased (e.g., Gutzwiller et al, 2014;Sebok et al, 2015). These results also agree with results from the more basic voluntary task switching literature, which considers simple cognitive tasks rather than complex task performance (e.g., Demanet, Verbruggen, Liefooghe, & Vandierendonck, 2010;Weywadt & Butler, 2013).…”

Section: Individual Differences In Executive Attentionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Role of Individual Differences in Executive Attentional Networks and Switching Choices in Multi-Task Management

Gutzwiller

Wickens

Clegg

2015

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

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Individual differences in cognitive processing relate to critical performance differences in real-world environments. Task switching is required for many of them and especially for task management during overload. Research exploring individual differences related to switching behavior (both frequency, and adherence to "optimal" switch times) is, however, sparse. We examined these relationships here, using the attentional network task to index executive control, and an ongoing tracking task (within a larger suite of concurrent task demands) to examine switching behavior. The results failed to support a general relationship between executive control and frequency in a complex, heterogeneous multi-task environment. However, higher executive control participants more successfully exploited "optimal" switching times, highlighting the varying role of individual differences in task management, when choice is unconstrained.

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Section: Individual Differences In Executive Attentionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Role of Individual Differences in Executive Attentional Networks and Switching Choices in Multi-Task Management

Gutzwiller

Wickens

Clegg

2015

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

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“…It could be argued that the reduction of prediction effects in the SP group was the consequence of larger cognitive burden in the syllable production secondary task, relative to the tongue tapping and syllable listening secondary tasks. Nevertheless, previous studies revealed that articulatory suppression and tapping do not differ in the level of disruption they entail in several non-linguistic cognitive tasks such as digit size judgment tasks 34 and task switching 35 , 36 , suggesting that those secondary tasks do not drastically vary in the amount of cognitive load they imply. Furthermore, the only difference between the syllable production and tapping tasks in the present study was in the linguistic status of the production (being a syllable or a noise), which also indicates that the cognitive load imposed by those secondary tasks was similar.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Prediction is Production: The missing link between language production and comprehension

Martin

Branzi

Bar

2018

Sci Rep

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Language comprehension often involves the generation of predictions. It has been hypothesized that such prediction-for-comprehension entails actual language production. Recent studies provided evidence that the production system is recruited during language comprehension, but the link between production and prediction during comprehension remains hypothetical. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing prediction during sentence comprehension (primary task) in participants having the production system either available or not (non-verbal versus verbal secondary task). In the primary task, sentences containing an expected or unexpected target noun-phrase were presented during electroencephalography recording. Prediction, measured as the magnitude of the N400 effect elicited by the article (expected versus unexpected), was hindered only when the production system was taxed during sentence context reading. The present study provides the first direct evidence that the availability of the speech production system is necessary for generating lexical prediction during sentence comprehension. Furthermore, these important results provide an explanation for the recruitment of language production during comprehension.Recent studies have provided evidence for a potential role of production processes in language comprehension [1][2][3][4] , but what exactly is the link between production and comprehension is a central topic in language sciences and remains to be determined 5 . Based on several recent frameworks, this missing link could be prediction. Listeners constantly predict upcoming information during language comprehension (to facilitate comprehension and dialogue), and such predictions are accompanied by covert production [6][7][8][9] . Except some indirect support in the literature showing that language production skills (category fluency task, production vocabulary) and prediction are related 10-14 , there is no direct evidence so far that the production system is necessary for prediction during comprehension (see 15 for review). Providing experimental evidence for this claim would generate important knowledge regarding the production-comprehension link and consequently improve our understanding of the neurocognitive foundations of human communication.In the present study, we measured lexical prediction during sentence comprehension when taxing the production system. The rationale was that if production is mandatory for prediction, then prediction should vanish when the availability of the production system is reduced. This was done by preventing inner speech through articulatory suppression (AS; e.g., uttering a certain syllable repeatedly while completing the primary task 16 ). If performance on the primary verbal task relies on inner speech, it should be significantly impaired by AS because articulation of irrelevant information prevents subvocal rehearsal of the verbal input 17 . Lexical prediction can be measured through event-related potential (ERP) responses derived from electrophysiological recording during...

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“…Moreover, not only procedural effects but also memory-based effects and individual differences have been found. VSR is decreased, and conversely repetition bias increases, under working memory load conditions (e.g., Demanet, Verbruggen, Weywadt & Butler, 2013). Differences in VSR have been found for certain populations, for example, VSR is lower for older adults than for young adults (Terry & Sliwinski, 2012), and also lower for individuals with high level of autistic traits (Poljac, Poljac, & Yeung, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How sequential changes in reward magnitude modulate cognitive flexibility: Evidence from voluntary task switching.

Fröber¹,

Dreisbach²

2016

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cogni

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There is much evidence that the prospect of reward modulates cognitive control in terms of more stable behavior. Increases in expected reward magnitude, however, have been suggested to increase flexible behavior as evidenced by reduced switch costs. In a series of experiments, the authors provide evidence that this increased cognitive flexibility following increases in reward magnitude also promotes deliberate task switching. A modified task switching paradigm with forced- and free-choice trials and varying reward prospects was used. In Experiments 1-3 the prospect of a reward increase as compared to unchanged high reward increased voluntary switching rate (VSR). Experiment 4 showed that the prospect of a reward decrease did not alter VSR as compared to unchanged low reward. Experiment 5 used a standard voluntary task switching procedure and confirmed VSR effects found in Experiments 1-4. These findings are strong evidence for a mechanism that biases the cognitive system either toward stability or flexibility depending on changing reward expectation. Results are discussed within the framework of the adaptive gain theory.

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The role of verbal short-term memory in task selection: How articulatory suppression influences task choice in voluntary task switching

Cited by 10 publications

References 21 publications

The Role of Individual Differences in Executive Attentional Networks and Switching Choices in Multi-Task Management

The Role of Individual Differences in Executive Attentional Networks and Switching Choices in Multi-Task Management

Prediction is Production: The missing link between language production and comprehension

How sequential changes in reward magnitude modulate cognitive flexibility: Evidence from voluntary task switching.

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