When can we and when do we adapt? Evidence that conflict adaptation can transcend contexts early in childhood

Focusing on relevant and ignoring irrelevant information is crucial for navigating ever-changing environments. This ability can be studied using conflict tasks in which the relevant and irrelevant information in a trial either align or compete. In this cross-sectional study conflict processing and adaptation were investigated across different contexts and developmental stages. In three experiments, three groups of participants (6-7-year-olds, 9-10-year-olds, adults; N = 273) processed pairs of conflict tasks. The context similarity of the tasks was manipulated based on whether they shared relevant and irrelevant dimensions. Performance was assessed using mouse-tracking measures of latency (movement time, initiation time) and trajectory (maximum absolute deviation, changes of direction). Contrary to predictions, congruency effects and within-task conflict adaptation effects generally increased or remained stable with age (with an exception in one experiment in latency measures). Across-task conflict adaptation showed a complex pattern that only partially aligned with predictions based on context similarity. Adults demonstrated across-task adaptation primarily in high-similarity contexts, while children showed evidence of across-task adaptation even across dissimilar tasks. These results provide first evidence of across-task conflict adaptation in children as young as 6 years when sensitive mouse-tracking measures are employed. Overall, conflict adaptation effects are small and appear to be influenced by context. Results are interpreted with respect to modes of control and the predictability of upcoming tasks. Furthermore, the age-related variation across mouse-tracking measures, with trajectory measures capturing the effects in children more consistently than latency measures, underscores the value of assessing various mouse-tracking variables when investigating conflict processing.