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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Generic cognitive adaptations to task interference in task switching.

Edita Poljac¹, Harold Bekkering

¹Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. e.poljac@donders.ru.nl

Acta Psychologica

|September 8, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Increasing the interval between tasks (response-cue interval) generally improves performance on both task switching and repetition. This suggests proactive task interference affects cognitive control broadly.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Human Performance

Background:

Task switching research explores how prior task engagement impacts subsequent task execution.
Proactive interference is a key concept, suggesting that residual activation from previous tasks can hinder new task performance.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the temporal dynamics of proactive task interference.
To examine how varying the response-cue interval (RCI) influences performance in task switching and repetition.

Main Methods:

Participants completed color and shape matching tasks in two-trial runs.
The response-cue interval (RCI) between runs was manipulated (300ms vs. 900ms).
Response times and error rates were recorded under task switching and repetition conditions.

Main Results:

Performance improved with increased RCI for both task switching and repetition trials.
The performance gains from a longer RCI were comparable for both switching and repetition.
This indicates a general effect of RCI on cognitive control, not specific to task switching.

Conclusions:

Findings support theories emphasizing generic proactive task interference effects.
Temporal manipulations, specifically RCI, play a significant role in modulating cognitive control.
The study highlights the pervasive nature of proactive interference in task execution.