自主任务转换中的重构和干扰

Jiang, Hao · 2018 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1042.2018.01624

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Summary

This review paper examines the mechanisms underlying task switching, a key component of executive function, by comparing the traditional task-cuing paradigm with the voluntary task switching paradigm. The central research problem involves explaining the "switch cost"—the increase in reaction time and error rate when switching between tasks compared to repeating a task. Two competing theories explain this cost: the reconfiguration view, which posits that switch costs arise from the active, time-consuming process of reconstructing task settings (an executive control function), and the interference view, which attributes costs to overcoming residual activation or inhibition from previous tasks. The paper argues that while the task-cuing paradigm has dominated research, it lacks ecological validity because task selection is driven by external cues rather than internal choice. To address these limitations, the paper reviews the voluntary task switching paradigm, where participants freely choose which task to perform without external cues, mimicking real-life multitasking. This paradigm allows for the measurement of new metrics, including task selection proportions and switching rates, in addition to traditional switch costs. The review synthesizes findings indicating that voluntary task switching results generally support the reconfiguration theory. For instance, studies using separation paradigms show that switch costs occur during task execution rather than task selection, suggesting that the cost reflects the reconstruction of task sets after a choice is made. Furthermore, "preparation effects" in voluntary switching—where switch costs decrease with longer intervals between response and stimulus—align with the time required for active reconfiguration. However, the paper also highlights evidence challenging the pure reconfiguration view, demonstrating that interference plays a significant role in voluntary switching. Bottom-up factors, such as stimulus repetition and spatial compatibility, influence task selection, particularly when cognitive load is high or preparation time is short. Additionally, response biases and task difficulty asymmetries (e.g., switching from complex to simple tasks) affect switching rates and costs, indicating that automatic interference mechanisms interact with top-down control. The author notes that while voluntary switching is more ecologically valid, it faces challenges in experimental control, such as ensuring true randomness in task selection. The significance of this review lies in its call for a theoretical integration of reconfiguration and interference views. The author concludes that future research should move beyond favoring one theory by developing models that account for the dynamic balance between active control and automatic interference. Recommendations include further investigating the distinct mechanisms of task choice versus task execution, improving experimental paradigms to better isolate these processes, and combining voluntary switching with transition-cuing methods to disentangle sequential effects. This approach aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how executive functions manage task transitions in complex, real-world environments.

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Topics

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• task switching
• executive function