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Components of switching intentional set.

Matthew F S Rushworth1, R E Passingham, A C Nobre

  • 1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK. matthew.rushworth@psy.ox.ac.uk

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|December 24, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Cognitive set shifting involves multiple processes. Some occur before task performance, while others are linked to executing the new task, as shown by event-related potentials (ERPs).

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Behavioral studies suggest cognitive set shifting may only occur during task performance, challenging the idea of immediate set reconfiguration upon instruction.
  • Set shifting might involve distinct cognitive processes that can be separated in time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if different component processes underlie cognitive set shifting.
  • To differentiate processes involved in set initiation/reconfiguration from those in new set implementation during task performance.

Main Methods:

  • Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during two set-switching tasks.
  • A response switching (RS) task required participants to shift intentional sets based on conflicting response rules.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for multiple constituent processes in set shifting was found.
  • Some processes were associated with initiating and reconfiguring cognitive sets before task engagement.
  • Other processes were time-locked to the performance of new task items, indicating distinct temporal components.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive set shifting is not a single process but comprises at least two distinct components.
  • Set initiation and reconfiguration precede task performance, while new set implementation occurs during performance.
  • Event-related potentials reveal distinct neural dynamics for different stages of cognitive set shifting.

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