Inhibition of cued but not executed task sets depends on cue-task compatibility and practice

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Performance

Background:

• Task switching involves preparing for upcoming tasks by activating task sets.
• The role of preparation in task set inhibition, particularly in n-2 repetition costs, is debated.
• Understanding task set inhibition is crucial for explaining cognitive control during task changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if merely preparing for a task (via cues) activates a task set that requires inhibition.
• To examine the emergence of n-2 repetition costs as an index of cue-induced task set inhibition.
• To differentiate between inhibition of prepared versus executed task sets.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments using task cue-only trials in the n-2 interval.
• Assessment of n-2 repetition costs following task cue-only versus task execution.
• Manipulation of cue-task compatibility and experimental practice.

Main Results:

• N-2 repetition costs were observed after task cue-only trials, but only for compatible cues and early in the experiment.
• N-2 repetition costs were absent after task execution in the n-2 trial.
• These findings were replicated, indicating cue-induced task set inhibition depends on compatibility and practice.

Conclusions:

• Merely preparing a task set, even without execution, can lead to its inhibition.
• Cue-induced task set inhibition is influenced by cue-task compatibility and the degree of experimental practice.
• Prepared task sets appear more susceptible to inhibition than executed task sets during task switching.