Executive function underlies both perspective selection and calculation in Level-1 visual perspective taking

Qureshi, Adam W.; Monk, Rebecca L. · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3758/s13423-018-1496-8

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Summary

This study investigates the role of executive function (EF), specifically working memory (WM), in Level-1 visual perspective taking (VPT). While previous research distinguished between perspective calculation (determining what another sees, proposed as automatic) and perspective selection (choosing which perspective to report, proposed as effortful), it remained unclear how WM contributes to these processes. Prior dual-task studies using inhibitory control suggested EF was only required for selection. This research tests whether WM is similarly limited to selection or if it also supports the automatic calculation of another’s perspective. The authors employed a dual-task paradigm with 54 adult participants. The primary task was a Level-1 VPT task where participants judged the number of dots visible to themselves or an avatar, under conditions where perspectives were either consistent or inconsistent. The secondary task was a forward letter span task designed to tax working memory; participants had to hold letters in mind while performing the VPT trials. The study utilized process-dissociation procedures (PDP) to separate automatic processes (A) from controlled processes (C) and analyzed accuracy rates, response times, and strategic trade-offs using mu scores. Results indicated that concurrent WM demands significantly increased error rates and response times across all VPT conditions. Crucially, PDP analyses revealed that both automatic processes (perspective calculation) and controlled processes (perspective selection) were impaired in the dual-task condition compared to the alone condition. This contrasts with previous findings on inhibitory control, which showed impairment only in controlled processes. Specifically, performance was most detrimentally affected during consistent other-perspective trials, suggesting WM is particularly critical for calculating the avatar’s perspective. Mu scores confirmed that the tasks shared cognitive resources without strategic trade-offs, and response time analyses showed disproportionate delays for consistent judgments, further implicating WM in perspective calculation. The findings suggest that working memory underlies both the calculation and selection of perspectives in Level-1 VPT, challenging the view that perspective calculation is entirely automatic and independent of executive resources. The authors propose that WM capacity facilitates the holding of the self-perspective in mind to allow for the processing of the other’s perspective. These results imply a distinction between simple, cognitively efficient perspective-taking and more complex theory of mind abilities, suggesting that while basic perspective calculation may be automatic, its efficiency is supported by working memory. The study highlights the need for further investigation into how different executive functions contribute to the components of perspective taking.

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• executive function