The influence of context representations on cognitive control states

Alzahabi, Reem; Hussey, Erika; Ward, Nathan · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00443-0

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Summary

This study investigates whether contextual factors, specifically the availability of preparation time, can bias individuals toward engaging either proactive or reactive cognitive control states, and whether this bias transfers to subsequent tasks. Grounded in the Dual Mechanisms of Control framework, which posits that cognitive control operates via proactive (goal-maintenance) and reactive (interference-resolution) modes, the research addresses a gap in understanding how environmental contexts influence the deployment of these states. While prior work has identified individual differences and clinical variations in control state usage, less is known about whether transient contextual manipulations can robustly shift an individual’s preferred control mode. The researchers employed a two-part experimental design involving a task-switching paradigm followed immediately by an AX-CPT (Attention Network Test) to assess transfer effects. In the task-switching phase, participants classified numbers or letters based on cues. The context was manipulated by varying the Cue-Stimulus Interval (CSI). A Pilot Study compared "long" (1716 ms) versus "short" (216 ms) preparation times. A subsequent Registered Experiment tested a more extreme manipulation: "preparation" (1716 ms CSI) versus "no preparation" (0 ms CSI, where the cue appeared simultaneously with the stimulus). The AX-CPT measured proactive control via response times and error rates on AY trials (slowing due to proactive anticipation) and reactive control via BX trials (slowing due to reactive correction). Results from the Pilot Study showed that while the task-switching manipulation successfully altered performance within that task, it did not significantly affect AX-CPT performance. Participants exhibited similar response times and error rates across trial types regardless of whether they had experienced long or short preparation times previously. Bayesian analysis provided moderate evidence for the null hypothesis, suggesting no transfer effect. The Registered Experiment, designed to test if the absence of preparation time would induce reactive control, similarly found no significant differences in AX-CPT performance between the preparation and no-preparation conditions. Across both studies, participants consistently engaged proactive control, as indicated by Proactive Behavioral Index scores significantly greater than zero, regardless of the preceding context. The findings conclude that contextual representations regarding preparation time do not significantly impact the engagement of specific cognitive control states in subsequent tasks. Instead of flexibly shifting between proactive and reactive modes based on immediate environmental cues, participants demonstrated a general preference for proactive control. This suggests that the deployment of cognitive control states may be more stable or driven by factors other than transient task-specific preparation opportunities, challenging the assumption that context alone can easily modulate control strategies.

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• executive function