Abstract
The present study examined the cognitive representation of tasks ("task sets") using the task-switching paradigm. To do so, we manipulated the task-set components "judgment" (i. e., stimulus categories) and "response modality" orthogonally in two-componential switching experiments. In Experiment 1, we additionally manipulated the type of cues, whereas we manipulated the cue-stimulus interval (CSI) in Experiments 2 and 3. We found that the two task-set components were not represented independently but interacted. Furthermore, preparation was substantially better when both task-set components were cued simultaneously with a long CSI than when only one task-set component could be prepared. Therefore, we suppose that both task-set components were integrated into a single task representation and that task-set integration is necessary prior to response selection. Thus, even components that have been classified as motor-related so far (e. g., the response modality) need to be specified and integrated into a task representation before the selection of a response.
Highlights
Getting up in the morning, taking the bus to work, and writing an article are just some of the many different tasks that we may face during a day
In an environment that offers a whole variety of different tasks, one aim of cognitive psychology is to learn more about the cognitive representation of tasks
Our results further suggest that the integration of task-set components is not influenced by the type of cues (Experiment 1) or by preparation time (Experiments 2 and 3) as we observed the critical interaction of judgment transition and modality transition in each experiment, with each type of cues and each cuing condition
Summary
Getting up in the morning, taking the bus to work, and writing an article are just some of the many different tasks that we may face during a day. In an environment that offers a whole variety of different tasks, one aim of cognitive psychology is to learn more about the cognitive representation of tasks. In this context, it is important to distinguish between a task itself and a task set (cf Rogers & Monsell, 1995). The term task can be basically understood as ‘what subjects have to do in an experiment.’. The term task can be basically understood as ‘what subjects have to do in an experiment.’ For
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