Transcript slides

Effects of Foreknowledge and
Foreperiod on Task-Switching Cost
Myeong-Ho Sohn
John R. Anderson
Carnegie-Mellon University
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Introduction
• Two Types of Control
– Executive (e.g., foreknowledge, expectation)
– Automatic (e.g., priming, utilization behavior)
• Task Switching Paradigm
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–
–
–
Two task sets
Two aspects of stimulus
Two responses mapped on to the same key
Two steps
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Consonant
G7
A4
Letter
Digit
Vowel
Even
Z
/
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Odd
Task Repetition
Task Switch
READY
2 sec
READY
G7
1 sec
G7
RSI
A4
1 sec
A4
feedback
2 sec
feedback
time
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Switch cost
• Switch cost
– Switching tasks takes longer than repeating task.
– Switch cost decreases as RSI increases.
– Switch cost does not disappear.
• What is the switch cost about?
– Repetition priming?
– Less than perfect preparation for switch?
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Rogers & Monsell (1995, EXP 3)
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Two mechanisms of control
• Executive control
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–
–
–
Depends on foreknowledge
Responsible for preparation
Extent of control increases over time
Apply for both repetition and switch
• Automatic control
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–
–
–
Depends on persisting activation of the just-performed task
Responsible for repetition priming
Extent of priming decreases over time
Apply only for repetition, regardless of foreknowledge
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Overview of experiments
• Design
– Transition : repeat or switch
– Foreknowledge : blocked or random transition
– RSI : 200 ms, 600 ms, or 1500 ms
• Emphasis
– Experiment 1 : emphasis on STEP 1
– Experiment 2 : emphasis on STEP 2
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Foreknowledge manipulation
Foreknowledge
Condition
Type o f
Block
STEP 1
STEP 2
Letter
Letter
Digit
Digit
Letter
Digit
Digit
Letter
Letter
Letter
Letter
Digit
Digit
Letter
Digit
Digit
Repetition
Blocked
Transition
Switch
Random
Transition
Mixed
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Prediction
RSI
Condition
Source of
Benefit
200
Blocked
priming
+++
Repetition preparation +
Blocked
Switch
priming
…
preparation +
Random
priming
+++
Repetition preparation …
Random
Switch
priming
…
preparation …
600
1500
++
++
+
+++
…
++
…
+++
++
…
+
…
…
…
…
…
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Experiment 1
STEP 2 Latency
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Experiment 2
STEP 2 Latency
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Summary of results
•
•
•
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Blocked Repetition : no effect of RSI
Blocked Switch
: faster as RSI increases
Random Repetition: slower as RSI increases
Random Switch : no effect of RSI
• Emphasis did not really have any effects.
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ACT-R model
• Probabilistic preparation
– Conflict resolution
– Only with foreknowledge
– The longer the RSI, the more likely to be prepared.
– Compensates decreasing priming benefit.
• Persisting activation of instruction
– Base level activation
– With or without foreknowledge
– Effective when the instruction is repeated
– The longer the RSI, the less likely to be primed.
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Model
STEP 2 Latency
ACT-R Workshop 1999
Conclusion
• Repetition effect and foreknowledge effect are
independent to each other.
• Residual switch cost does not seem to be under the
control of executive mechanism.
• ACT-R can do task switching.
Questions
• What is the process that provides the repetition benefit?
– Stimulus encoding? S-R mapping rules?
• Preparation for a switch can be perfect, then?
ACT-R Workshop 1999