Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2025
06:45
Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
6.3K
Task independence of placekeeping as a cognitive control construct: Evidence from individual differences and
Erik M Altmann1, David Z Hambrick1
1Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, USA.
Cognition
|September 4, 2022
Summary
Cognitive control mechanisms for placekeeping, the ability to follow sequential steps, are shared across tasks, not task-specific. This suggests placekeeping ability is a general cognitive construct applicable to various real-world activities.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Factors
Background:
- Many cognitive tasks necessitate placekeeping, requiring sequential execution of steps without errors.
- The specificity of cognitive control mechanisms supporting placekeeping (task-specific vs. general) remains an open question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether cognitive control mechanisms for placekeeping are shared across distinct tasks or are task-specific.
- To determine if individual differences in placekeeping ability are consistent across different task contexts.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 289 participants to perform two distinct tasks (Letterwheel and UNRAVEL) with shared sequential structures.
- Analyzed placekeeping performance measures for correlations across tasks, controlling for extraneous variance.
- Examined placekeeping error gradients for crossover interactions as an indicator of shared cognitive mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Placekeeping measures showed significant correlations across the Letterwheel and UNRAVEL tasks, indicating task-independent individual differences.
- A crossover interaction in placekeeping error gradients was observed in both tasks, supporting the involvement of similar cognitive mechanisms.
- Results suggest placekeeping ability is a general cognitive control construct.
Conclusions:
- Placekeeping ability appears to be a task-independent cognitive control construct.
- These findings suggest that placekeeping measures could potentially predict performance in diverse workplace and daily life tasks.
- Understanding general placekeeping mechanisms has implications for designing more effective training and support systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:19High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
359
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
359
01:14Rotter's Locus of Control
408
Julian Rotter introduced the concept of locus of control, a cognitive factor that significantly influences personality development and learning. Locus of control refers to an individual's beliefs about the extent of control they have over events in their lives. According to Rotter, this belief system can be categorized into two types: internal and external locus of control.
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their personal efforts and decisions directly affect their...
Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their personal efforts and decisions directly affect their...
408
01:21Cognitive Learning
487
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
487
01:25The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic
7.4K
In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the...
7.4K
01:26Metacognition
263
Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
263
01:24Working Memory
417
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
417