Exploring the Repetition Bias in Voluntary Task Switching

Overview

Journal Psychol Res

Specialty Psychology

Date 2017 Sep 6

PMID 28871331

Citations 16

Authors

Victor Mittelstadt

David Dignath

Magdalena Schmidt-Ott

Andrea Kiesel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In the voluntary task-switching paradigm, participants are required to randomly select tasks. We reasoned that the consistent finding of a repetition bias (i.e., participants repeat tasks more often than expected by chance) reflects reasonable adaptive task selection behavior to balance the goal of random task selection with the goals to minimize the time and effort for task performance. We conducted two experiments in which participants were provided with variable amount of preview for the non-chosen task stimuli (i.e., potential switch stimuli). We assumed that switch stimuli would initiate some pre-processing resulting in improved performance in switch trials. Results showed that reduced switch costs due to extra-preview in advance of each trial were accompanied by more task switches. This finding is in line with the characteristics of rational adaptive behavior. However, participants were not biased to switch tasks more often than chance despite large switch benefits. We suggest that participants might avoid effortful additional control processes that modulate the effects of preview on task performance and task choice.

Citing Articles

The benefit of choice on task performance: Reduced difficulty effects in free-choice versus forced-choice tasks.

Mittelstadt V, Mackenzie I, Baier D, Goetz L, Wittbecker P, Leuthold H Mem Cognit. 2024; .

PMID: 39375299 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01641-5.

The influence of reward and loss outcomes after free- and forced-tasks on voluntary task choice.

Mittelstadt V, Mackenzie I, Leuthold H Psychol Res. 2024; 88(7):2059-2079.

PMID: 39078508 PMC: 11450031. DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-02009-9.

Voluntary task switching is affected by modality compatibility and preparation.

Friedgen E, Koch I, Poljac E, Liefooghe B, Stephan D Mem Cognit. 2024; 52(5):1195-1209.

PMID: 38388779 PMC: 11315712. DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01536-5.

Task performance errors and rewards affect voluntary task choices.

Spitzer M, Musslick S, Janz J, Kiesel A, Dignath D Psychol Res. 2024; 88(3):892-909.

PMID: 38175284 PMC: 10965722. DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01908-7.

The impact of food stimuli and fasting on cognitive control in task switching.

Maydych V, Poschel H, Kubler S, Schubert T Psychol Res. 2023; 88(3):921-935.

PMID: 37855942 PMC: 10965672. DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01884-y.

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