Submission 503
Partial Reversal of Cue-Task Assignment After Task Switching Practice
SymposiumTalk-02
Presented by: Stefanie Kellner
Task switch costs are typically reduced following task switching practice, likely reflecting increased efficiency in task-set reconfiguration. In the task cueing procedure, assuming the formation of cue-task associations, the reduction in switch costs after practice can be attributed to cue-based automatization of task-set reconfiguration processes. We investigated the effects of practice for cue-based task-set reconfiguration by partially reassigning the cue-task assignments for a subset of cues after extensive task switching practice. Specifically, performance with reassigned cues in task repetition and task switch trials was compared to performance with cues that retained their original task assignment. In doing so, the use of a 4:2 cue-task mapping allowed us to disentangle task switch costs from cue switch costs. Cue reassignment lead to increased performance costs relative to both constant and novel cues introduced only after practice , indicating a relearning cost associated with previously established associations. Importantly, this relearning cost was not greater in task switch trials than in task repetition trials, suggesting that cue-based automatized task-set reconfiguration, if it occurs, disrupts ongoing performance in a broader way rather than specifically interfering with the additional reconfiguration demands of task switches.