Dissociable Neural Correlates of Intention and Action Preparation in Voluntary Task Switching

Poljac, E.; Yeung, N. · 2014 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs326

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Summary

This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying voluntary task switching, specifically addressing whether between-task competition influences the formation of top-down intentions or merely the execution of actions. While behavioral data often confound intention with performance, this research utilized electroencephalography (EEG) to dissociate global task preparation from motor-specific preparation. The authors aimed to determine if the surprising behavioral bias toward switching to a more difficult task (rather than an easier one) reflects a contamination of the intention itself or simply interference during action implementation. The experimental design involved 16 participants performing a voluntary task-switching paradigm where they chose between an easy location task (compatibly mapped) and a difficult shape classification task (arbitrarily mapped). Participants were instructed to switch tasks randomly and equally often. EEG data were recorded to analyze six specific markers: three indices of global task preparation (frontal contingent negative variation [CNV], posterior slow positive wave, and parieto-occipital alpha power) and three indices of motor-specific preparation (lateralized readiness potential [LRP], and mu- and beta-band motor-related amplitude asymmetries [MRAAs]). Analyses focused on the preparatory period preceding stimulus onset, particularly during long response-stimulus intervals that allowed for advance preparation. The results revealed a clear dissociation between global and motor-specific preparation processes. Global task preparation markers were significantly affected by between-task competition. Specifically, the CNV, posterior positivity, and alpha power exhibited strong interactions between task type and transition type, indicating that the neural formation of task intentions was directly influenced by the relative strength of competing tasks. In contrast, motor-specific preparation markers (LRP, mu-MRAA, and beta-MRAA) showed no differences related to between-task competition. These motor indices remained consistent regardless of whether the upcoming task was the easier or harder option, suggesting that the preparation of specific motor responses was not contaminated by the competitive dynamics of the tasks. These findings demonstrate that between-task competition directly influences the formation of top-down intentions rather than just their behavioral expression. The study concludes that the neural correlates of global task intention are sensitive to the asymmetrical costs and biases inherent in switching between tasks of differing strengths, whereas motor-specific preparation remains robust and unaffected. This distinction clarifies that the observed behavioral biases in voluntary switching arise from impaired intention formation due to residual activation from previous tasks, rather than from a failure to execute a clear intention. This provides critical evidence for theories of cognitive control that posit a unidirectional influence of intention on competition, showing instead that competition can feedback to alter the intention itself.

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• task switching