Reconfiguration of Stimulus Task Sets and Response Task Sets during Task Switching

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

219 Scopus citations

Abstract

A tentative model of task switching was tested in two experiments. The model accounts for the switching costs observed in previous experiments by attributing them to multivalent task elements, in the present paradigm bivalent stimuli (relevant for both tasks) and bivalent responses (used in both tasks). It assumes that stimulus task sets enable nearly univalent mental representations of bivalent stimuli, and that response task sets enable nearly univalent mental representations of bivalent responses. Results support two novel predictions of the model: (1) the residual switching cost is substantial with bivalent responses, but negligible with univalent responses; and (2) the preparatory cost is substantial when bivalent target stimuli follow bivalent stimuli, but negligible when either the current target stimulus or the previous one is univalent. Hence there is an approximate one-to-one mapping between preparatory cost and reconfiguration of stimulus task set, on the one hand, and between residual switching cost and reconfiguration of response task set, on the other.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationControl of Cognitive Processes:
Subtitle of host publicationAttention and Performance XVIII
EditorsStephen Monsell , Jon Driver
PublisherThe MIT Press
Chapter16
Pages377-399
Number of pages23
ISBN (Electronic)9780262280112
DOIs
StatePublished - 2000

Publication series

NameAttention and Performance
PublisherOxford University Press
Volume18
ISSN (Print)1047-0387

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

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