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Preparation for a forthcoming task is sufficient to produce subsequent shift costs
Thomas Kleinsorge1, Patrick D Gajewski
1Institut für Arbeitsphysiologie an der Universität Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany. kleinsorge@ifado.de
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|July 21, 2004
Summary
Task preparation alone can incur costs, especially when participants anticipate switching tasks. This study reveals that preparing for a task, even if not executed, creates task-set costs, particularly in motivating contexts with potential task changes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human behavior
Background:
- Task switching incurs significant cognitive costs.
- The necessity of task execution for establishing task sets remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if mere task preparation, without execution, induces task-set costs.
- To explore the influence of motivational context on task-set configuration.
Main Methods:
- A go/no-go study design was employed.
- Participants engaged in precued tasks with occasional no-go trials.
- Preparation intervals were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Mere task preparation induced significant shift costs under motivating conditions.
- Shift costs were reduced after executed trials (go trials).
- Negligible shift costs and no active task-set configuration were observed without motivational context.
Conclusions:
- Task preparation alone is sufficient to establish task sets and incur costs, contingent on motivational factors.
- Motivational contexts encourage advance preparation, influencing task-set dynamics.
- The need to perform the task is crucial for active task-set configuration.