Comparing partial repetition costs in two- and four-choice tasks: Evidence for abstract relational codes

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Partial repetition costs (PRCs) are observed in choice tasks when stimuli or responses partially repeat.
• Existing theories suggest PRCs reflect updating stimulus-response bindings or resolving processing conflicts.
• An alternative hypothesis proposes that PRCs are influenced by a heuristic signaling mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether relational codes, specifically signaling effects, contribute to partial repetition costs.
• To compare PRCs in two-choice versus four-choice tasks to differentiate between binding updates and signaling effects.
• To examine how the validity of stimulus-response signals influences the magnitude of signaling effects.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of partial repetition costs in two-choice and four-choice tasks.
• Experimental manipulation of stimulus-response repetition and change patterns across trials.
• Analysis of response times and error rates based on trial history and signal validity.

Main Results:

• Complete repetition benefits were similar across two- and four-choice tasks.
• Complete change benefits were smaller in the four-choice task compared to the two-choice task, suggesting a signaling effect.
• The magnitude of the signaling effect was larger following trials where stimulus-response patterns were consistent (valid signals).

Conclusions:

• Signaling between stimulus features and responses contributes to partial repetition costs.
• Cognitive bindings involved in action control incorporate relational codes.
• These findings refine our understanding of how cognitive control and decision-making are influenced by learned stimulus-response associations.