title: Control of task sequences: what is the role of language?
abstract: It is almost a truism that language aids serial-order control through self-cuing of upcoming sequential elements. We measured speech onset latencies as subjects performed hierarchically organized task sequences while "thinking aloud" each task label. Surprisingly, speech onset latencies and response times (RTs) were highly synchronized, a pattern that is not consistent with the hypothesis that speaking aids proactive retrieval of upcoming sequential elements during serial-order control. We also found that when instructed to do so, subjects were able to speak task labels prior to presentation of response-relevant stimuli and that this substantially reduced RT signatures of retrieval-however, at the cost of more sequencing errors. Thus, while proactive retrieval is possible in principle, in natural situations it seems to be prevented through a strong "gestalt-like" tendency to synchronize speech and action. We suggest that this tendency may support context updating rather than proactive control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.
authors.forename: Killian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kleffner-Canucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Redford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult