Control and interference in task switching—A review.

Kiesel, Andrea; Steinhauser, Marco; Wendt, Mike; Falkenstein, Michael; Jost, Kerstin; Philipp, Andrea M.; Koch, Iring · 2010 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1037/a0019842

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This review article synthesizes recent empirical evidence and theoretical developments in the field of task switching, a primary paradigm for studying cognitive control and task interference. The authors address the rapid growth of research in this area, noting that previous reviews are outdated given the emergence of new methods, phenomena, and theoretical accounts. The paper aims to organize this expanding body of knowledge by focusing on behavioral literature, specifically examining the mechanisms underlying task preparation and the interference phenomena that arise during switching. The review categorizes experimental approaches into five basic paradigms: mixed-task versus single-task blocks, predictable task switching (e.g., alternating runs), task-cuing paradigms with unpredictable sequences, intermittent instructions, and voluntary task selection. The authors distinguish between "global" mixing costs, observed when comparing mixed-task blocks to single-task blocks, and "local" switch costs, measured by comparing performance on task-switch trials to task-repetition trials within mixed sequences. The text details how these paradigms allow researchers to isolate specific costs associated with maintaining multiple task sets versus the active process of switching between them. The core of the review analyzes two major research topics: preparatory control mechanisms and interference phenomena. Regarding preparation, the authors examine empirical evidence showing that switch costs are reduced when participants have more time to prepare for the upcoming task, such as through longer response-stimulus intervals or cue-stimulus intervals. The paper discusses various theoretical models of this preparation, including two-stage models, all-or-none processes, and models viewing preparation as an interaction between cue encoding and memory retrieval. It also considers whether preparation is specific to switch trials or occurs in both switch and repetition trials. In the section on interference, the review explores proactive interference from previously performed tasks, evidenced by asymmetrical switch costs and n-2 repetition costs. It further details stimulus-based interference, resulting from stimulus-response and stimulus-task activation, and response-based interference, which includes effects from bivalent responses, response repetition, and carryover of response selection. The authors conclude by highlighting future research directions, emphasizing the need to better understand the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie these robust behavioral effects. This comprehensive overview provides a structured framework for understanding how humans adaptively manage changing environmental demands through complex cognitive control processes.

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Topics

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• task switching
• executive function
• dual task performance
• dual task multitasking