title: Anticipatory reconfiguration elicited by fully and partially informative cues that validly predict a switch in task.
abstract: Task-switching studies show no behavioral benefit of partially informative cues. However, ERP evidence of an early cue-locked positivity elicited by both fully and partially informative cues suggests that both cues trigger an anticipatory component of task set reconfiguration (Nicholson, Karayanidis, Davies, & Michie, 2006). We examined this apparent discrepancy using a cued-trials task-switching paradigm with three tasks. The ERP finding of an early cue-locked positivity was replicated for both switch-to cues, which validly predicted an upcoming switch trial and specified the new task set, and switch-away cues, which validly predicted an upcoming switch trial but not the new task set. This component was not elicited by a noninformative cue that did not specify whether the task would switch or repeat. Switch-away cues resulted in more accurate but not faster responding than did noninformative cues. Modeling of decision processes confirmed a speed-accuracy trade-off between these conditions and a preparation benefit for both switch-to and switch-away cues. These results indicate that both fully and partially informative cues elicit an early anticipatory component of task set reconfiguration that is reflected in the early cue-locked positivity. We argue that the pattern of results is most consistent with a task set inhibition account of this early anticipatory component of task set reconfiguration.
authors.affiliation: Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. frini.karayanidis@newcastle.edu.au
authors.forename: Frini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karayanidis
authors.forename: Elise L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mansfield
authors.forename: Kasey L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Galloway
authors.forename: Janette L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Provost
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heathcote
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011337:Probability Learning; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult