Estimating the executive demands of a one-back choice reaction time task by means of the selective interference paradigm.
The present study proposes a new executive task, the one-back choice reaction time (RT) task, and implements the selective interference paradigm to estimate the executive demands of the processing components involved in this task. Based on the similarities between a one-back choice RT task and the n-back updating task, it was hypothesized that one-back delaying of a choice reaction involves executive control. In three experiments, framed within Baddeley's (1986) working-memory model, a one-back choice RT task, a choice RT task, articulatory suppression, and matrix tapping were performed concurrently with primary tasks involving verbal, visuospatial, and executive processing. The results demonstrate that one-back delaying of a choice reaction interferes with tasks requiring executive control, while the potential interference at the level of the verbal or visuospatial working memory slave systems remains minimal.
Szmalec
Arnaud
A
Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. arnaud.szmalec@UGent.be
Vandierendonck
André
A
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology