Proactive versus reactive task-set inhibition: evidence from flanker compatibility effects.
Two converging tests were used to determine whether people proactively inhibit recently performed tasks when switching to new tasks. A task-cuing paradigm was used. In each trial, the relevant stimulus was accompanied by flankers belonging either to the task performed on the immediately preceding trial (lag 1) or a more distant trial (lag 2 +). If the just-performed task is inhibited when switching to another task, and this inhibition declines across trials, then flanker interference should be smaller with lag 1 flankers than with lag 2 + flankers. Experiment 1, following the methods of Hübner, Dreisbach, Haider, and Kluwe (2003), failed to confirm this prediction. The prediction was confirmed in Experiment 2, however, using a design modified to provide greater incentives for task-set inhibition. The results provide evidence that inhibition can be applied proactively, to reduce the ability of an abandoned task to interfere with the performance of other tasks.
Kuhns
David
D
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
Lien
Mei-Ching
MC
Ruthruff
Eric
E
D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D011930:Reaction Time