Preregistration

Does a repeating response retrieve the n-1 task? A task-switching experiment with fictitious cards

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Benini, Elena

Abstract / Description

In task switching, response repetitions (RR) usually yield performance benefits compared to response switches, but only when the task repeats. When the task switches, RR benefits vanish or even turn into costs, yielding an interaction between repeating versus switching the task and the response. Several theoretical accounts were proposed to explain this interaction. In this study, we tested a prediction derived from binding and retrieval accounts which assumes that task and response are bound in each trial N. Moreover, when the task or the response repeats, it retrieves the task-response binding formed in the N−1 trial. A previous study, we showed that repeating the task indeed retrieves the response. Namely, we found higher probability of erroneously repeating the same response as in N-1 when the repeats than when it switches. This can explain why RR benefits are found in task repetitions. We now wish to examine whether repeating the response retrieves the previous task. To this aim, we will examine whether the probability of erroneously performing the n-1 task is higher in response repetitions than switches. This could explain why RR costs are found in task switches. Such an erroneous selection of the N-1 task in response repetitions might reflect retrieval of the previous episode and thus bring further support to the episodic retrieval account for the RR effect in task switching.

Keyword(s)

task switching features binding episodic retrieval response-repetition effect task confusion response selection

Persistent Identifier

PsychArchives acquisition timestamp

2025-01-14 15:30:28 UTC

Publisher

PsychArchives

Citation

  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Benini, Elena
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2025-01-14T15:30:28Z
  • Made available on
    2025-01-14T15:30:28Z
  • Date of first publication
    2025-01-14
  • Abstract / Description
    In task switching, response repetitions (RR) usually yield performance benefits compared to response switches, but only when the task repeats. When the task switches, RR benefits vanish or even turn into costs, yielding an interaction between repeating versus switching the task and the response. Several theoretical accounts were proposed to explain this interaction. In this study, we tested a prediction derived from binding and retrieval accounts which assumes that task and response are bound in each trial N. Moreover, when the task or the response repeats, it retrieves the task-response binding formed in the N−1 trial. A previous study, we showed that repeating the task indeed retrieves the response. Namely, we found higher probability of erroneously repeating the same response as in N-1 when the repeats than when it switches. This can explain why RR benefits are found in task repetitions. We now wish to examine whether repeating the response retrieves the previous task. To this aim, we will examine whether the probability of erroneously performing the n-1 task is higher in response repetitions than switches. This could explain why RR costs are found in task switches. Such an erroneous selection of the N-1 task in response repetitions might reflect retrieval of the previous episode and thus bring further support to the episodic retrieval account for the RR effect in task switching.
    en
  • Publication status
    other
  • Review status
    unknown
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/11356
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.15940
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.14040
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.12888
  • Keyword(s)
    task switching
  • Keyword(s)
    features binding
  • Keyword(s)
    episodic retrieval
  • Keyword(s)
    response-repetition effect
  • Keyword(s)
    task confusion
  • Keyword(s)
    response selection
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Does a repeating response retrieve the n-1 task? A task-switching experiment with fictitious cards
    en
  • DRO type
    preregistration
  • Visible tag(s)
    PRP-QUANT