Switching between tasks of unequal familiarity: the role of stimulus-attribute and response-set selection

J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2003 Apr;29(2):455-69. doi: 10.1037/0096-1523.29.2.455.

Abstract

It has been reported that it is harder to switch to a strong, well-practiced task from a weaker, less-practiced task than vice versa. Three experiments replicated this surprising asymmetry and investigated how it is affected by a reduction in interference between tasks. Experiment 1 progressively delayed the onset of the stimulus attribute associated with the stronger task. Experiments 2 and 3 separated the response sets of the tasks. Both manipulations reduced, without eliminating, interference of the stronger with the weaker task but reversed the asymmetry of switch costs, resulting in a larger cost of switching to the weaker task. The results are interpreted in terms of a model of the interactions between control input, task strength, and task priming.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention / physiology
  • Choice Behavior / physiology*
  • Color Perception / physiology
  • Cues
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Practice, Psychological*
  • Problem Solving / physiology*
  • Psychological Theory
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Reading
  • Set, Psychology
  • Time Factors
  • Verbal Behavior / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology