Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2009):

Verbal representation in task order control: an examination with transition and task cues in random task switching.

Full Abstract

Recent task-switching studies in which a predictable task sequence has been used have indicated that verbal representation contributes to the control of task order information. The present study focused on the role of verbal representation in sequential task decisions, which are an important part of task order control, and examined the effects of articulatory suppression in a random-task-cuing paradigm with two different types of cues presented just before the presentation of a stimulus: a transition cue and a task cue. The former cue provided information only about switching or repeating the task, whereas the latter was associated directly with the identity of the task (i.e., indicating a parity or a magnitude task). In Experiment 1, in which transition cues guided task sequences, articulatory suppression impaired performance in both repetition and switch trials, thereby increasing the mixing costs. In Experiment 2, in which a task cue, rather than a transition cue, was presented to examine the influence of a cue-decoding process, articulatory suppression had no specific effect on task performance. Experiment 3, in which the transition cue and the task cue were randomly presented in the same block to equalize the memory load and task strategy for the two types of cues, confirmed that articulatory suppression significantly increased the mixing costs only in transition cue trials. The results from the three experiments indicated that the use of verbal representation is effective in sequential task decision-that is, in selecting a task set on the basis of transient task order information in both repetition and switch trials.

Author information

Author/s: Saeki, Erina (E); Saito, Satoru (S);

Affiliation: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. e.saeki(-atsign-)hw5.ecs.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Memory & cognition (Mem Cognit), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 37 (issue 7) : pp 1040-50

Dates: Created 2009/09/11; Completed 2009/11/02;

PMID: 19744942, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/2/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention Cues Humans Inhibition (Psychology) Judgment Mental Recall Motor Activity

Pattern Recognition, Visual Problem Solving Psychomotor Performance Reaction Time Reading Reversal Learning Verbal Behavior

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