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Assessing the role of reward in task selection using a reward-based voluntary task switching paradigm
David A Braun1, Catherine M Arrington2
1Lehigh University, 17 Memorial Dr. East, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA.
Psychological Research
|September 28, 2017
Summary
People flexibly switch tasks by balancing reward and effort. This study shows task selection in multitasking relies on a cost-benefit analysis, optimizing point accumulation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Decision Science
Background:
- Human multitasking involves stable task execution and flexible task switching.
- Research increasingly focuses on cognitive control's role in task selection decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate factors influencing task selection: exploiting repetitions vs. exploring switches.
- Operationalize a foraging analogy to model task switching decisions.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel reward-based voluntary task switching paradigm.
- Assigned point values to tasks, aiming for rapid point accumulation.
- Structured rewards to incentivize switching while balancing speed.
Main Results:
- Individuals demonstrate high sensitivity to reward and effort demands in task selection.
- The task selection process is efficient and flexible.
- Results support a cost-benefit mechanism for multitasking decisions.
Conclusions:
- Multitasking decisions are guided by a cost-benefit analysis.
- Task selection integrates available reward with necessary effort.
- This framework explains efficient and flexible multitasking behavior.
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