Top

Gepubliceerd in:

01-09-2008 | Original Article

Task switching based on externally presented versus internally generated information

Auteurs: Thomas Kleinsorge, Patrick D. Gajewski

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 5/2008

Abstract

A number of observations from the task switching literature suggest that task preparation based on internally generated knowledge is less efficient than task preparation based on externally presented information. In the present study, we investigated task switching based on internally generated versus externally presented information and additionally varied the reliability of foreknowledge. Source and reliability of foreknowledge were varied between groups of participants. With reliable foreknowledge, the relevant task always conformed to foreknowledge, even when the features of the imperative stimulus called for an alternative task. With unreliable foreknowledge, the relevant task was determined by the imperative stimulus and foreknowledge was sometimes misleading. Apart from measuring switch costs, we examined the effectiveness of establishing a task set by measuring interference exerted by conflicting stimuli (conditions with reliable foreknowledge) or misled expectancies (conditions with unreliable foreknowledge). In terms of switch costs, we observed a slight superiority of externally presented over internally generated information when foreknowledge was reliable, but this relationship strongly reversed with unreliable foreknowledge. This conclusion was corroborated by observations regarding the effectiveness of task-set establishment in terms of proneness to interference.

vorige artikel Control by action representation and input selection (CARIS): a theoretical framework for task switching

volgende artikel Response inhibition under task switching: its strength depends on the amount of task-irrelevant response activation

It is highly likely that performance in conditions with externally based foreknowledge was affected by implicit knowledge about the sequence of tasks. However, this should be unproblematic for the present purposes.

We used RT medians instead of means in order to deal with the enhanced between-subjects variability resulting from the incomplete crossing of the factors task and relation between successive tasks for individual participants (cf. Heuer et al., 2001).

A number of unpublished experiments from our lab have shown that the same pattern can be observed with verbal precues that are perceptually dissimilar to the task cues.

It may be argued that it is a shortcoming of our study that task switching based on internally represented information was associated with a lack of control over the exact point in time at which participants can start preparing for a task. However, this flexibility is a hallmark of plan-based behavior and therefore conceptually consistent with our line of reasoning.

Barton, J.J.S., Kuzin, A., Polli, F., Manoach, D.S. (2006). The use of working memory for task prediction: What benefits accrue from different types of foreknowledge? Neuroscience, 139, 385–392.PubMedCrossRef

Heuer, H., Schmidtke, V., Kleinsorge, T. (2001). Implicit learning of sequences of tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 27, 967–983.PubMedCrossRef

Kleinsorge, T., & Gajewski, P.D. (2006). Pending intentions: effects of prospective task encoding on the performance of another task. Psychological Research, 70, 157–169.PubMedCrossRef

Kleinsorge, T., Heuer, H., Schmidtke, V. (2001). Task-set reconfiguration with binary and three-valued task dimensions. Psychological Research, 65, 192–201.PubMedCrossRef

Kleinsorge, T., Heuer, H., Schmidtke, V. (2002). Processes of task set reconfiguration: switching operations and implementation operations. Acta Psychologica, 111, 1–28. (Erratum: Acta Psychologica, 111, 263).

Kleinsorge, T., Schmidtke, V., Gajewski, P.D., Heuer, H. (2003). The futility of explicit knowledge of a sequence of tasks. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 15, 455–469.CrossRef

Kleinsorge, T., Heuer, H., Schmidtke, V. (2004). Assembling a task space: global determination of local shift costs. Psychological Research, 68, 31–40.PubMedCrossRef

Kleinsorge, T., Gajewski, P.D., Heuer, H. (2005). Task sets under reconstruction: effects of partially incorrect precues. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58A, 521–546.

Koch, I. (2003). The role of external cues for endogenous advance reconfiguration in task switching. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 10, 488–492.

Koch, I. (2005). Sequential task predictability in task switching. Bulletin & Review, 12, 107–112.

Lien, M.-C., & Ruthruff, E. (2004). Task switching in a hierarchical task structure: evidence for the fragility of the task repetition benefit. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 30, 697–713.PubMedCrossRef

Logan, G.D. (2003). Executive control of thought and action: in search of the wild homunculus. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 45–48.CrossRef

Logan, G.D. (2004). Working memory, task switching, and executive control in the task span procedure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 133, 218–236.CrossRef

Mayr, U., & Bryck, R.L. (2007). Outsourcing control to the environment: effects of stimulus/response locations on task selection. Psychological Research, 71, 107–116.PubMedCrossRef

Meiran, N. (1996). The reconfiguration of processing mode prior to task performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 22, 1423–1442.CrossRef

Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Science, 7, 134–140.CrossRef

Monsell, S., & Mizon, G.A. (2006). Can the task-cuing paradigm measure an endogenous task-set reconfiguration process? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32, 493–516.PubMedCrossRef

Rogers, R.D., & Monsell, S. (1995). Costs of a predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 124, 207–231.CrossRef

Schneider, D. W., & Logan, G. D. (2006). Hierarchical control of cognitive processes: switching tasks in sequences. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 135, 623–640.CrossRef

Sohn, M.-H., & Carlson, R.A. (2000). Effects of repetition and foreknowledge in task-set reconfiguration. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 26, 1445–1460.CrossRef

Swainson, R., Jackson, S.R., Jackson, G.M. (2006). Using advance information in dynamic cognitive control: an ERP study of task-switching. Brain Research, 1105, 61–72.PubMedCrossRef

Tornay, F.J., & Milan, E.G. (2001). A more complete task-set reconfiguration in random than in predictable task switch. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 785–803.

Verbruggen, F., Liefooghe, B., Vandierendonck, A., Demanet, J. (2007). Short cue presentations encourage advance task preparation: a recipe to diminish the residual switch cost. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 33, 342–356.CrossRef

Titel: Task switching based on externally presented versus internally generated information
Auteurs: Thomas Kleinsorge
Patrick D. Gajewski
Publicatiedatum: 01-09-2008
Uitgeverij: Springer-Verlag
Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research / Uitgave 5/2008
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-008-0137-7

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 5/2008

The dynamic-stimulus advantage of visual symmetry perception

Control by action representation and input selection (CARIS): a theoretical framework for task switching

On the interplay between familiarity and emotional expression in face perception

Dealing with indeterminacy in spatial descriptions

An egocentric frame of reference in implicit motor sequence learning

Response inhibition under task switching: its strength depends on the amount of task-irrelevant response activation