Dissociating stimulus-response compatibility and modality compatibility in task switching

Friedgen, Erik; Koch, Iring; Stephan, Denise Nadine · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01276-4

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Summary

This study investigates the cognitive locus of modality compatibility (MC) effects in task switching. MC refers to the similarity between the modality of a stimulus and the anticipated sensory effect of the response (e.g., auditory stimuli paired with vocal responses). Previous research established that switching between modality-incompatible mappings (e.g., visual-manual and auditory-vocal) incurs larger switch costs than switching between compatible mappings. However, it remained unclear whether MC influences task selection, response selection, or both. To address this, the authors examined whether MC interacts with stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility, a factor known to affect response selection. If both factors influence the same process, an interaction should occur; independent effects would suggest they operate at different stages. The researchers conducted two experiments with 40 participants each. In Experiment 1, participants performed a Simon task where they responded manually or vocally to the meaning of visual or auditory color words, while stimulus location was task-irrelevant. In Experiment 2, participants performed a spatial discrimination task where stimulus location was task-relevant, requiring manual or vocal responses indicating left or right. Both experiments manipulated MC (compatible vs. incompatible blocks) and S-R compatibility (spatially compatible vs. incompatible trials) within a task-switching paradigm. The design allowed for the analysis of three-way interactions between MC, S-R compatibility, and task switching (switch vs. repetition). Results from both experiments revealed significant main effects for MC and S-R compatibility, as well as a significant interaction between MC and task switching, confirming that modality-incompatible mappings increased switch costs. Crucially, however, there was no significant interaction between MC and S-R compatibility, nor a three-way interaction involving switching. Bayesian analyses provided moderate to strong evidence for the absence of these interactions. This pattern held true for both response times and error rates, as well as inverse efficiency scores. The lack of interaction indicates that the mechanisms underlying S-R compatibility and MC are independent. The findings imply that MC effects do not arise during response selection, the stage typically associated with S-R compatibility effects. Instead, the authors propose that MC influences processes either before response selection (such as mapping activation) or after it (such as response initiation or execution). Specifically, they suggest that motor response initiation triggers anticipatory activation of modality-specific sensory effects. In compatible mappings, this facilitates the correct response; in incompatible mappings, it reactivates the incorrect task set, thereby increasing switch costs. This dissociation clarifies that cognitive control processes in task switching involve distinct mechanisms for mapping selection and response selection.

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• multisensory crossmodal