Event‐related potential correlates of task switching and switch costs

Abstract

Studies of task switching demonstrate that task switches are associated with response costs and that these costs are reduced when a cue is presented in advance of a switch. The present study examined cortical event-related potential correlates of task switching and switch costs in 39 participants during a cued match/mismatch discrimination task. Compared with non-switch trials, switch trials were associated with a larger cue-related, anticipatory P3b-like waveform. Switch trials were also associated with smaller target-related, stimulus-dependent P2 and P3-like components. Moreover, the switch-related amplitude variability in the P3b to the cue and the P2 to the target were associated with unique components of the residual switch costs. The results support an integrated model of task switching with complementary yet distinct roles for anticipatory and stimulus-dependent processes in task switching and switch costs.

The Role of Physical Fitness in the Neurocognitive Performance of Task Switching in Older Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment

“…However, the ERP P2 component is also associated with a component of the switching cost [50]. As mentioned above, the aMCI and control groups showed different global switching costs but roughly the same local switching costs.…”

“…Different ERP components are evoked simultaneously when individuals perform a visual task-switch paradigm, such as the P2 to the target for a unique component of cognitive control in relation to taskset activation or the switching cost [49][50][51], and P3 for the task-set updating processes and attentional resources allocated to the updating of working memory [37,52,53]. With regard to the relationship between physical fitness and electrophysiological indices, the ERP P2 and P3 components are sensitive to improvements in physical fitness in the elderly.…”

“Smart inhibition”: electrophysiological evidence for the suppression of conflict-generating task rules during task switching

“…Many of these studies have reported that in comparison with task repeat trials, there was a switch-related central-posterior positivity occurring about 400 ms after the cue (Hsieh, 2002;Karayanidis, Coltheart, Michie, & Murphy, 2003;Miniussi, Marzi, & Nobre, 2005;Moulden et al, 1998;Rushworth, (Slagter, Kok, Mol, Talsma, & Kenemans, 2005). This positivity was interpreted by some authors as P3b modulation (Barceló, Periáñez, & Knight, 2002;Kieffaber & Hetrick, 2005;Nicholson, Karayanidis, Poboka, Heathcote, & Michie, 2005;Tieges, Snel, Kok, Plat, & Ridderinkhof, 2007) and by others as a reduction in CNV (Hsieh & Chen, 2006;Lorist et al, 2000). The posterior positivity is sometimes preceded by an early (100 to 300-ms) or moderately early (300 to 500-ms) anterior positivity (Astle, Jackson, & Swainson, 2008;Rushworth et al, 2002) or followed by a late (500 to 1,000-ms) anterior negativity (Astle et al, 2008;Lavric, Mizon, & Monsell, 2008;Moulden et al, 1998).…”

“…Of interest here is the suggestion that the modulation of the P3b ERP component (e.g., Barceló et al, 2002;Gehring, Bryck, Jonides, Albin, & Badre, 2003;Hsieh & Chen, 2006;Karayanidis et al, 2003;Kieffaber & Hetrick, 2005;Wylie, Javitt, & Foxe, 2003) represents the inhibition of the task set as a whole (Hsieh & Liu, 2008. Among these studies is Hsieh and Liu's (2009) study that was described beforehand.…”

“…Target epoch Several studies have shown that task switching results in less positivity or greater negativity, as compared with task repetition (e.g., Karayanidis et al, 2003;Kieffaber & Hetrick, 2005;Nicholson et al, 2005), and these effects tend to show up quite early. Of interest here is the suggestion that the modulation of the P3b ERP component (e.g., Barceló et al, 2002;Gehring, Bryck, Jonides, Albin, & Badre, 2003;Hsieh & Chen, 2006;Karayanidis et al, 2003;Kieffaber & Hetrick, 2005;Wylie, Javitt, & Foxe, 2003) represents the inhibition of the task set as a whole (Hsieh & Liu, 2008.…”