Conflict resolution in the Eriksen flanker task: Similarities and differences to the Simon task

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Behavior

Background:

• The Eriksen flanker and Simon tasks involve response conflict resolution via mental control.
• These tasks exhibit different delta function slopes, indicating variations in how congruency effects develop over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of temporal overlap between irrelevant and relevant response activation on control mechanisms.
• To determine if task-specific control differences explain the varying delta function slopes observed in flanker and Simon tasks.

Main Methods:

• Manipulated temporal distance in a flanker task by presenting flankers before the target.
• Varied the proportion of congruent stimuli in a Simon task.
• Modeled behavioral data using drift-diffusion models.

Main Results:

• Increasing temporal distance in the flanker task led to negatively sloped delta functions and reversed congruency effects.
• Negatively sloped delta functions in the Simon task were observed only with a low proportion of congruent stimuli.
• A long temporal distance is necessary but not sufficient for negatively sloped delta functions.

Conclusions:

• Differently sloped delta functions can be elicited in both flanker and Simon tasks by manipulating temporal dynamics.
• Activation suppression is a flexible mental control mechanism adaptable to varying control demands.