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Xiang L, Gao Y, Xiong Z, Hu J, Wang B. Sequential and domain-specific processing mechanisms for dual cognitive-emotional conflict. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:2107-2120. [PMID: 39080023 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-02012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate how the cognitive control system resolves conflicts when cognitive and emotional conflicts occur simultaneously, and how it performs. To achieve this, a factorial task-crossing design was employed, combining the spatial Simon task and the face-word emotional interference task, allowing cognitive and emotional conflicts to occur concurrently within a single trial. The results revealed that the Simon cognitive conflict was only associated with N2 and early SP, while it did not affect the amplitude of N450 and late SP. Conversely, the face-word emotional conflict affected the amplitude of N450 and late SP, but had no impact on N2 and early SP. These findings demonstrate the adaptive sequencing organization and domain specificity in cognitive-emotional dual conflict processing, which reflects the precise and flexible orchestration and strategic adjustments of the cognitive control system. The results contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic and temporal processes involved in the cognitive control of multiple conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xiang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Yu Gao
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Zhihan Xiong
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Jingjing Hu
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Baoxi Wang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, China.
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2
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Jia S, Liu D, Song W, Beste C, Colzato L, Hommel B. Tracing conflict-induced cognitive-control adjustments over time using aperiodic EEG activity. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae185. [PMID: 38771238 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive-control theories assume that the experience of response conflict can trigger control adjustments. However, while some approaches focus on adjustments that impact the selection of the present response (in trial N), other approaches focus on adjustments in the next upcoming trial (N + 1). We aimed to trace control adjustments over time by quantifying cortical noise by means of the fitting oscillations and one over f algorithm, a measure of aperiodic activity. As predicted, conflict trials increased the aperiodic exponent in a large sample of 171 healthy adults, thus indicating noise reduction. While this adjustment was visible in trial N already, it did not affect response selection before the next trial. This suggests that control adjustments do not affect ongoing response-selection processes but prepare the system for tighter control in the next trial. We interpret the findings in terms of a conflict-induced switch from metacontrol flexibility to metacontrol persistence, accompanied or even implemented by a reduction of cortical noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Jia
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
| | - Wenqi Song
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
| | - Christian Beste
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Lorenza Colzato
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014 Shandong Province, China
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3
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Naefgen C, Gaschler R. Variable, sometimes absent, but never negative: Applying multilevel models of variability to the backward crosstalk effect to find theoretical constraints. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 245:104221. [PMID: 38531267 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
When performing two tasks at the same time, the congruency of the second task's features influences performance in the first task. This is called the backward crosstalk effect (BCE), a phenomenon that influences both theories of binding and of dual-task capacity limitations. The question of whether the BCE is found in all participants at all times is relevant for understanding the basis of the effect. For example, if the BCE is based on strategic choices, it can be variable, but if it is automatic and involuntary, it should never vary in whether it is present or not. Variability in observed BCE sizes was already documented and discussed when the group average effect was first reported (Hommel, 1998). Yet the theories discussed at the time did not motivate a more direct analysis of this variability, nor did the readily available statistical tools permit it. Some statistical approaches recently applied in cognitive psychology allow such a variability-focused analysis and some more recent theoretical debates would benefit from this as well. We assessed the variability of the BCE as well as a BCE-like free-choice congruency effect by applying a Bayesian multilevel modeling approach to the data from a dual-tasking experiment. Trials consisted of a two- and a four-response task. We manipulated which task was presented first and whether the response to the four-choice task was free or forced choice. RT data were best predicted by a model in which the BCE is zero in part of the population and drawn from a normal distribution truncated at zero (and thus always positive) in the rest of the population. Choice congruency bias data were best predicted by a model assuming this effect to be drawn from a normal distribution truncated at zero (but, in contrast to the RT data, without the subset of the population where it is zero). The BCE is not an inflexible and universal phenomenon that is directly linked to an inherent structural trait of human cognition. We discuss theoretical constraints implied by these results with a focus on what we can infer about the traits of the factors that influence BCE size. We suggest that future research might add further major constraints by using multi-session experiments to distinguish between-person and within-person variability. Our results show that the BCE is variable. The next step is understanding along which axes it is variable and why it varies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Naefgen
- Allgemeine Psychologie: Lernen, Motivation, Emotion, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany.
| | - Robert Gaschler
- Allgemeine Psychologie: Lernen, Motivation, Emotion, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany.
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Schiltenwolf M, Kiesel A, Frings C, Dignath D. Memory for abstract control states does not decay with increasing retrieval delays. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:547-561. [PMID: 37615755 PMCID: PMC10858070 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01870-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that abstract control states (i.e., internal attentional states independent from concrete stimuli and responses) can be stored in episodic memory and retrieved subsequently. However, the duration of such a control state memory remains unclear. Previous research has found a quick and complete decay for stimulus-response bindings after 2000-5000 ms. Here, we tested a possible decay of control state bindings with retrieval delays of 2000, 3000, or 5000 ms. Five preregistered experiments used a confound-minimized prime-target task to measure the congruency sequence effect (CSE) separately for trials in which a nominally irrelevant context feature changed or repeated across trials. Analyses of the individual experiments did not result in conclusive evidence. A mega-analysis integrating the data of all experiments (Ntotal = 326) replicated evidence for binding and retrieval of control states, in that larger CSEs were found for context repetition trials. Importantly, Bayesian analysis indicated that this effect was not modulated by the length of retrieval delay. While this finding suggests that bindings of abstract control states can be relatively robust, we also discuss possible limitations of the present research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Schiltenwolf
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | | | | | - David Dignath
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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5
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Goschke T, Job V. The Willpower Paradox: Possible and Impossible Conceptions of Self-Control. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:1339-1367. [PMID: 36791675 PMCID: PMC10623621 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221146158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Self-control denotes the ability to override current desires to render behavior consistent with long-term goals. A key assumption is that self-control is required when short-term desires are transiently stronger (more preferred) than long-term goals and people would yield to temptation without exerting self-control. We argue that this widely shared conception of self-control raises a fundamental yet rarely discussed conceptual paradox: How is it possible that a person most strongly desires to perform a behavior (e.g., eat chocolate) and at the same time desires to recruit self-control to prevent themselves from doing it? A detailed analysis reveals that three common assumptions about self-control cannot be true simultaneously. To avoid the paradox, any coherent theory of self-control must abandon either the assumption (a) that recruitment of self-control is an intentional process, or (b) that humans are unitary agents, or (c) that self-control consists in overriding the currently strongest desire. We propose a taxonomy of different kinds of self-control processes that helps organize current theories according to which of these assumptions they abandon. We conclude by outlining unresolved questions and future research perspectives raised by different conceptions of self-control and discuss implications for the question of whether self-control can be considered rational.
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Dumsky J, Maier ME, Steinhauser M. Effects of the number of competing responses on neural signatures of pre- and post-response conflict. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108643. [PMID: 37467845 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The optimization of human performance requires the continuous monitoring of behavioral conflicts. According to conflict monitoring theory, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex registers response conflict which is reflected by two electrophysiological signatures, the N2 and the Ne/ERN. The theory assumes that, if a stimulus activates an incorrect response that competes with the correct response, pre-response conflict on correct trials (reflected by the N2) is enhanced but post-response conflict on error trials (reflected by the Ne/ERN) is reduced. Here, we asked whether response conflict depends on the number of competing incorrect responses activated by a stimulus, that is, whether the N2 is further enhanced and the Ne/ERN is further reduced if two incorrect responses are activated as compared to one. To this end, we used a modified flanker paradigm, in which the two flankers were associated either with the same incorrect response or with different incorrect responses. Our results indicate an increased N2 on correct trials and a reduced Ne/ERN on error trials in the latter as compared to the former condition. These results confirm central predictions of conflict monitoring theory and demonstrate that response conflict is directly related to the number of competing incorrect responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Dumsky
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 27, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany.
| | - Martin E Maier
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 27, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Marco Steinhauser
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 27, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
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Koob V, Mackenzie I, Ulrich R, Leuthold H, Janczyk M. The role of task-relevant and task-irrelevant information in congruency sequence effects: Applying the diffusion model for conflict tasks. Cogn Psychol 2023; 140:101528. [PMID: 36584549 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2022.101528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In conflict tasks, such as the Simon, Eriksen flanker, or Stroop task, the congruency effect is often reduced after an incongruent compared to a congruent trial: the congruency sequence effect (CSE). It was suggested that the CSE may reflect increased processing of task-relevant information and/or suppression of task-irrelevant information after experiencing an incongruent relative to a congruent trial. In the present study, we contribute to this discussion by applying the Diffusion Model for Conflict tasks (DMC) framework in the context of CSEs to flanker and Simon tasks. We argue that DMC independently models the task-relevant and task-irrelevant information and thus is a first good candidate for disentangling their unique contributions. As a first approach, we fitted DMC conjointly or separately to previously congruent or incongruent trials, using four empirical flanker and two Simon data sets. For the flanker task, we fitted the classical DMC version. For the Simon task, we fitted a generalized DMC version which allows the task-irrelevant information to undershoot when swinging back to zero. After considering the model fits, we present a second approach, where we implemented a cognitive control mechanism to simulate the influence of increased processing of task-relevant information or increased suppression of task-irrelevant information. Both approaches demonstrate that the suppression of task-irrelevant information is essential to create the typical CSE pattern. Increased processing of task-relevant information, however, could rarely describe the CSE accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Koob
- Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Ian Mackenzie
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Ulrich
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hartmut Leuthold
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Janczyk
- Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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Attentional adjustment in priming tasks: control strategies depend on context. Cogn Process 2023; 24:1-23. [PMID: 36538134 PMCID: PMC9898381 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-022-01117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Goal-directed behavior is assumed to require processes of attentional biasing to counter unwanted action tendencies elicited by distracting stimulus information. This is particularly so if stimulus categories that define the target and the distractor frequently reverse, requiring participants to respond to previously ignored stimulus categories and vice versa. In the current study, we investigated control strategies under such conditions. Specifically, we assessed trial-to-trial modulation of distractor-interference (i.e., congruency sequence effect, CSE) in a temporal flanker task associated with repetition versus alternation of the assignment of stimulus category (i.e., digits, letters) to targets and distractors (i.e., the character presented second or first, respectively) under conditions of a long SOA of 1000 ms (Experiment 1A) and 1200 ms (Experiment 1B). Whereas previous research, using a shorter SOA, suggested temporal-order control (i.e., the occurrence of a CSE in both repetition and-albeit less pronounced-alternation trials), lengthening the distractor-target SOA resulted in a CSE confined to repetition trials, suggesting strong or exclusive reliance on stimulus categories for attentional control (Experiment 1A and B). Adding a redundant stimulus feature (i.e., color), discriminating targets and distractors, eliminated the difference of CSE patterns in repetition and alternation trials (Experiment 2). Together, our results suggest that the strength of concurrently applied control strategies or the choice of a particular control strategy depend on contextual factors.
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Ye W, Damian MF. Effects of conflict in cognitive control: Evidence from mouse tracking. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:54-69. [PMID: 35045771 PMCID: PMC9773156 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221078265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
It has long been debated whether the "congruency sequence effect (CSE)" in conflict tasks such as Flanker could reflect adaptive control. The current study used "mouse tracking" to tackle the issue in a combination of three conflict tasks (i.e., Flanker, Simon, and Spatial Stroop tasks). Congruency effects from previous and current trials emerged in latencies as well as curvature of movement trajectories in all three tasks. Critically, movement initiation times were affected only by congruency on previous but not on current trials. A further analysis showed that even when initiation time on the previous trials was taken into account, a subtle but highly significant effect of conflict arising from trial N-1 on initiation times remained. Although not necessarily implying "conflict adaptation," i.e., a dynamic up- and downregulation of cognitive control in response to a recent conflict, our finding indicates a specific sensitivity to the presence or absence of recent "conflict" in the cognitive environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Ye
- Wenting Ye, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK.
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10
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Derzsi Z. EEG response in humans for frequency-tagged anticorrelated random-dot stereograms: Increased coherency and alpha oscillations. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:909225. [PMID: 35968391 PMCID: PMC9363770 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.909225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, the presence of a neural mechanism triggered by anticorrelated random-dot stereograms have been theorized based on animal models from invasive studies, but have not been experimentally verified with the use of electroencephalography. In this study, we employed a phase-consistent, temporally modulated alternating depth stereogram stimulus, where we created anticorrelation by inverting the contrast between the eyes. We recorded the electrical response of the resulting brain oscillations of our four participants using EEG in both the correlated and anticorrelated conditions and whether they perceived depth movement. Our analysis found that the correlated stereograms elicited a strong coherency at the even harmonics of the depth alternation, and the anticorrelated stimulus created lower coherency peaks at the first harmonic of the depth alternation, even when participants did not report the depth movement to be visible. While both conditions created a diminishment of spectral power in the beta band, we found that the anticorrelated condition created increased spectral power in the alpha band. We experimentally verified the presence of a neural mechanism triggered by anticorrelated random-dot stereograms in the human brain with our coherency analysis and that it would not have been detected with the conventional spectral analysis due to the weakness of the response. We hypothesize that the decreased beta oscillations are related to either visual discomfort and visual attention to our stimulus, and that the increased alpha oscillations in the anticorrelated condition is a response to the incorrect depth information created by the stereogram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Derzsi
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Zoltan Derzsi
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Ciardo F, Wykowska A. Robot's Social Gaze Affects Conflict Resolution but not Conflict Adaptations. J Cogn 2022; 5:2. [PMID: 36072111 PMCID: PMC9400601 DOI: 10.5334/joc.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Robots are a new category of social agents that, thanks to their embodiment, can be used to train and support cognitive skills such as cognitive control. Several studies showed that cognitive control mechanisms are sensitive to affective states induced by humor, mood, and symbolic feedback such as monetary rewards. In the present study, we investigated whether the social gaze of a humanoid robot can affect cognitive control mechanisms. To this end, in two experiments, we evaluated both the conflict resolution and trial-by-trial adaptations during an auditory Simon task, as a function of the type of feedback participants received in the previous trial from the iCub robot, namely, mutual or avoiding gaze behaviour. Across three experiments, we compared the effect of mutual, avoiding (Exp1 and Exp2), and neutral (Exp3) gaze feedback between screen-based (Exp1) and physically embodied setups (Exp2 and Exp3). Results showed that iCub's social gaze feedback modulated conflict resolution, but not conflict adaptations. Specifically, the Simon effect was increased following mutual gaze feedback from iCub. Moreover, the modulatory effect was observed for the embodied setup in which the robot could engage or avoid eye contact in real-time (Exp2) but not for the screen-based setting (Exp1). Our findings showed for the first time that social feedback in Human-Robot Interaction, such as social gaze, can be used to modulate cognitive control. The results highlight the advantage of using robots to evaluate and train complex cognitive skills in both healthy and clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ciardo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Enrico Melen 83, 16152 Genova, IT
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12
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Dignath D, Kiesel A. Further Evidence for the Binding and Retrieval of Control-States From the Flanker Task. Exp Psychol 2021; 68:264-273. [PMID: 34911358 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In response-interference tasks, congruency effects are reduced in trials that follow an incongruent trial. This congruence sequence effect (CSE) has been taken to reflect top-down cognitive control processes that monitor for and intervene in case of conflict. In contrast, episodic-memory accounts explain CSEs with bottom-up retrieval of stimulus-response links. Reconciling these opposing views, an emerging perspective holds that memory stores instances of control - abstract control-states - creating a shortcut for effortful control processes. Support comes from a study that assessed CSEs in a prime-target task. Here, repeating an irrelevant context feature boosted CSEs, possibly by retrieving previously stored control-states. We present a conceptual replication using the Eriksen flanker task because previous research found that CSEs in the flanker task reflect different control mechanisms than CSEs in the prime-target task. We measured CSEs while controlling for stimulus-response memory effects and manipulated contextual information (vertical spatial location) independently from the stimulus information, which introduced the conflict (horizontal spatial location). Results replicate previous findings - CSEs increased for context-repetition compared to context-changes. This study shows that retrieval of control-states is not limited to a specific task or context feature and therefore generalizes the notion that abstract control parameters are stored into trial-specific event files.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dignath
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kiesel
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Germany
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13
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Limitations of cognitive control on emotional distraction - Congruency in the Color Stroop task does not modulate the Emotional Stroop effect. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:21-41. [PMID: 34735694 PMCID: PMC8791911 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00935-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Emotional information receives prioritized processing over concurrent cognitive processes. This can lead to distraction if emotional information has to be ignored. In the cognitive domain, mechanisms have been described that allow control of (cognitive) distractions. However, whether similar cognitive control mechanisms also can attenuate emotional distraction is an active area of research. This study asked whether cognitive control (triggered in the Color Stroop task) attenuates emotional distraction in the Emotional Stroop task. Theoretical accounts of cognitive control, and the Emotional Stroop task alike, predict such an interaction for tasks that employ the same relevant (e.g., color-naming) and irrelevant (e.g., word-reading) dimension. In an alternating-runs design with Color and Emotional Stroop tasks changing from trial to trial, we analyzed the impact of proactive and reactive cognitive control on Emotional Stroop effects. Four experiments manipulated predictability of congruency and emotional stimuli. Overall, results showed congruency effects in Color Stroop tasks and Emotional Stroop effects. Moreover, we found a spillover of congruency effects and emotional distraction to the other task, indicating that processes specific to one task impacted to the other task. However, Bayesian analyses and a mini-meta-analysis across experiments weigh against the predicted interaction between cognitive control and emotional distraction. The results point out limitations of cognitive control to block off emotional distraction, questioning views that assume a close interaction between cognitive control and emotional processing.
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Increasing control improves further control, but it does not enhance memory for the targets in a face-word Stroop task. Mem Cognit 2021; 48:994-1006. [PMID: 32144648 PMCID: PMC7381473 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-020-01028-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent research on the dynamics between attentional and memory processes have outlined the idea that applying control in a conflicting situation directly leads to enhanced episodic memory of the processed information. However, in spite of a small subset of studies supporting this claim, the majority of the evidence in the field seems to support the opposite pattern. In this study, we used a face-word Stroop task to enforce different control modes either from trial to trial or in an item-specific manner. Both manipulations of congruency proved to be effective in making participants' responses to conflicting stimuli more efficient over time by applying a trial-specific control mode. However, these manipulations had no impact on memory performance on a surprise recognition memory test. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at measuring the memory consequences of the application of specific control modes at the trial level. The results reported here call for caution and possibly reconceptualization of the relationship between cognitive control and memory.
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15
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Marković D, Goschke T, Kiebel SJ. Meta-control of the exploration-exploitation dilemma emerges from probabilistic inference over a hierarchy of time scales. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:509-533. [PMID: 33372237 PMCID: PMC8208938 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00837-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control is typically understood as a set of mechanisms that enable humans to reach goals that require integrating the consequences of actions over longer time scales. Importantly, using routine behaviour or making choices beneficial only at short time scales would prevent one from attaining these goals. During the past two decades, researchers have proposed various computational cognitive models that successfully account for behaviour related to cognitive control in a wide range of laboratory tasks. As humans operate in a dynamic and uncertain environment, making elaborate plans and integrating experience over multiple time scales is computationally expensive. Importantly, it remains poorly understood how uncertain consequences at different time scales are integrated into adaptive decisions. Here, we pursue the idea that cognitive control can be cast as active inference over a hierarchy of time scales, where inference, i.e., planning, at higher levels of the hierarchy controls inference at lower levels. We introduce the novel concept of meta-control states, which link higher-level beliefs with lower-level policy inference. Specifically, we conceptualize cognitive control as inference over these meta-control states, where solutions to cognitive control dilemmas emerge through surprisal minimisation at different hierarchy levels. We illustrate this concept using the exploration-exploitation dilemma based on a variant of a restless multi-armed bandit task. We demonstrate that beliefs about contexts and meta-control states at a higher level dynamically modulate the balance of exploration and exploitation at the lower level of a single action. Finally, we discuss the generalisation of this meta-control concept to other control dilemmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrije Marković
- Chair of Neuroimaging, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Goschke
- Chair of General Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
- Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan J Kiebel
- Chair of Neuroimaging, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
- Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
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16
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Reduced flexibility of cognitive control: reactive, but not proactive control, underpins the congruency sequence effect. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:474-484. [PMID: 33779833 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01505-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The congruency sequence effect (CSE) refers to facilitated conflict processing following incongruent than congruent trials, and reflects enhanced cognitive control during conflict processing. Although this effect is mostly conceived as being reactive, proactive control can also unlock it under specific circumstances according to previous studies (e.g., when an informative cue is used). However, whether or not humans can flexibly switch between these two complementing control modes remains unclear. To address this question, 55 participants completed the confound-minimized Stroop task in different blocks where the cue about the upcoming trial's congruency was either informative or not, and orthogonally to it, the cue-stimulus interval (CSI) was either short or long. We tested if the size of the CSE could change depending on the specific combination of these two factors, which would indicate that cognitive control depends on the subtle balance between reactive and proactive control, and is therefore flexible. However, results showed that the CSE was significant and comparable across the four combinations of CSI and Cue type, suggesting that it primarily stemmed from reactive control. We discuss our results against the dual mechanism of control (DMC) framework (Braver in Trends Cogn Sci 16:106-113, 2012).
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17
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Multiple Routes to Control in the Prime-Target Task: Congruence Sequence Effects Emerge Due to Modulation of Irrelevant Prime Activity and Utilization of Temporal Order Information. J Cogn 2021; 4:18. [PMID: 33748663 PMCID: PMC7954176 DOI: 10.5334/joc.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In interference tasks, the magnitude of the congruency effect is reduced in trials that follow an incongruent trial. This congruence sequence effect (CSE) reflects cognitive control processes, yet accounts disagree when and how control is exerted. Here, we address these questions in the context of the prime-target task. In this task, control can either modulate early prime or late target information. Furthermore, control can utilize information specific to the stimulus (perceptual features) or relational information between stimuli (temporal order). Two experiments (N = 41 | N = 62) were conducted using a prime-target task with arrows (prime) and letters (target). We presented either the prime before the target or the target before the prime. For both trial-type transitions, the CSE was assessed. Regarding the first question, when is control exerted, results showed a larger CSE for prime→target relative to target→prime trials. This suggests that control in the prime-target task modulates prime activity. Regarding the second question, how is control exerted, a combined analysis of both experiments showed a larger CSE for repetition of the same prime and target order across two trials (e.g., previous trial: prime→target; current trial: prime→target) compared to changes (e.g., previous trial: prime→target; current trial: target→prime), suggesting that control in the prime-target task can employ temporal selection.
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18
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Quantifying mechanisms of cognition with an experiment and modeling ecosystem. Behav Res Methods 2021; 53:1833-1856. [PMID: 33604839 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01534-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although there have been major strides toward uncovering the neurobehavioral mechanisms involved in cognitive functions like memory and decision making, methods for measuring behavior and accessing latent processes through computational means remain limited. To this end, we have created SUPREME (Sensing to Understanding and Prediction Realized via an Experiment and Modeling Ecosystem): a toolbox for comprehensive cognitive assessment, provided by a combination of construct-targeted tasks and corresponding computational models. SUPREME includes four tasks, each developed symbiotically with a mechanistic model, which together provide quantified assessments of perception, cognitive control, declarative memory, reward valuation, and frustrative nonreward. In this study, we provide validation analyses for each task using two sessions of data from a cohort of cognitively normal participants (N = 65). Measures of test-retest reliability (r: 0.58-0.75), stability of individual differences (ρ: 0.56-0.70), and internal consistency (α: 0.80-0.86) support the validity of our tasks. After fitting the models to data from individual subjects, we demonstrate each model's ability to capture observed patterns of behavioral results across task conditions. Our computational approaches allow us to decompose behavior into cognitively interpretable subprocesses, which we can compare both within and between participants. We discuss potential future applications of SUPREME, including clinical assessments, longitudinal tracking of cognitive functions, and insight into compensatory mechanisms.
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19
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Derzsi Z. Optimal Approach for Signal Detection in Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials in Humans Using Single-Channel EEG and Stereoscopic Stimuli. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:600543. [PMID: 33679294 PMCID: PMC7935508 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.600543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In EEG studies, one of the most common ways to detect a weak periodic signal in the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is spectral evaluation, a process that detects peaks of power present at notable temporal frequencies. However, the presence of noise decreases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which in turn lowers the probability of successful detection of these spectral peaks. In this paper, using a single EEG channel, we compare the detection performance of four different metrics to analyse the SSVEP: two metrics that use spectral power density, and two other metrics that use phase coherency. We employ these metrics find weak signals with a known temporal frequency hidden in the SSVEP, using both simulation and real data from a stereoscopic apparent depth movement perception task. We demonstrate that out of these metrics, the phase coherency analysis is the most sensitive way to find weak signals in the SSVEP, provided that the phase information of the stimulus eliciting the SSVEP is preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Derzsi
- Department of Psychology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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20
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Jiménez L, Abrahamse E, Méndez C, Braem S. Does incidental sequence learning allow us to better manage upcoming conflicting events? PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 84:2079-2089. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01201-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Tafuro A, Vallesi A, Ambrosini E. Cognitive brakes in interference resolution: A mouse-tracking and EEG co-registration study. Cortex 2020; 133:188-200. [PMID: 33128914 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control is particularly challenged when it is necessary to resolve interference and correct our behavior on-the-fly. To do this, it is necessary to inhibit the ongoing wrong action and reprogram a new motor plan as appropriate for the current task. This ability requires a complex interaction between cognitive and motor control. Here, we aimed at shedding light on this interplay. To do this, we administered a spatial version of the Stroop task comprising blocks with different Proportion Congruency (PC) manipulations (i.e., manipulating the percentage of congruent trials at 25%, 50% or 75%), to elicit different cognitive control demands. Moreover, we used two techniques with high-temporal resolution, as we simultaneously recorded EEG and mouse trajectories, that can be considered the real-time kinematic correlates of the ongoing cognitive processing. Specifically, we analyzed the Event Related Potentials (ERPs) locked to the peak deceleration time, which marks the suppression of ongoing erroneous trajectories, and we estimated their neural sources. We found three PC-dependent ERP components engaging distinct neural regions, which showed a reduction of the Stroop effect for low-PC blocks. By using a novel co-registration of mouse-trajectories and EEG, we suggest that the observed components may reflect different mechanisms engaged by reactive cognitive control to resolve the interference, including the suppression of an ongoing but no longer appropriate response, the selection of the new motor plan and its actual updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Tafuro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Perception and Awareness (PandA) Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonino Vallesi
- Department of Neuroscience & Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS, San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Ettore Ambrosini
- Department of Neuroscience & Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
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22
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Zekveld AA, van Scheepen JAM, Versfeld NJ, Kramer SE, van Steenbergen H. The Influence of Hearing Loss on Cognitive Control in an Auditory Conflict Task: Behavioral and Pupillometry Findings. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:2483-2492. [PMID: 32610026 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The pupil dilation response is sensitive not only to auditory task demand but also to cognitive conflict. Conflict is induced by incompatible trials in auditory Stroop tasks in which participants have to identify the presentation location (left or right ear) of the words "left" or "right." Previous studies demonstrated that the compatibility effect is reduced if the trial is preceded by another incompatible trial (conflict adaptation). Here, we investigated the influence of hearing status on cognitive conflict and conflict adaptation in an auditory Stroop task. Method Two age-matched groups consisting of 32 normal-hearing participants (M age = 52 years, age range: 25-67 years) and 28 participants with hearing impairment (M age = 52 years, age range: 23-64 years) performed an auditory Stroop task. We assessed the effects of hearing status and stimulus compatibility on reaction times (RTs) and pupil dilation responses. We furthermore analyzed the Pearson correlation coefficients between age, degree of hearing loss, and the compatibility effects on the RT and pupil response data across all participants. Results As expected, the RTs were longer and pupil dilation was larger for incompatible relative to compatible trials. Furthermore, these effects were reduced for trials following incompatible (as compared to compatible) trials (conflict adaptation). No general effect of hearing status was observed, but the correlations suggested that higher age and a larger degree of hearing loss were associated with more interference of current incompatibility on RTs. Conclusions Conflict processing and adaptation effects were observed on the RTs and pupil dilation responses in an auditory Stroop task. No general effects of hearing status were observed, but the correlations suggested that higher age and a greater degree of hearing loss were related to reduced conflict processing ability. The current study underlines the relevance of taking into account cognitive control and conflict adaptation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A Zekveld
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J A M van Scheepen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Niek J Versfeld
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sophia E Kramer
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, University of Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, the Netherlands
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23
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Landman LL, van Steenbergen H. Emotion and conflict adaptation: the role of phasic arousal and self-relevance. Cogn Emot 2020; 34:1083-1096. [PMID: 32036746 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1722615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Conflict adaptation reflects the increase in cognitive control after previous conflict between task-relevant and task-irrelevant information. Tonic (sustained) arousal elicited by emotional words embedded in a conflict task has previously been shown to increase conflict adaptation. However, the role of phasic (transient) emotional arousal remains unclear. In Experiment 1 (N = 55), we therefore investigated the effect of phasic arousal using a colour flanker task with negative, positive, and neutral words as stimuli. We hypothesised that phasic arousal elicited in this context will increase conflict adaptation in the subsequent trial. Indeed, when the words were positive or negative as compared to neutral, we observed increased conflict adaptation. In Experiment 2 (N = 54), we examined the role of the self-relevance by presenting words with a self-related pronoun ("my") or sender-related pronoun ("his"/"her"). We expected that emotional words with high self-relevance would lead to stronger effects of emotional arousal on conflict adaptation. Confirming this hypothesis, results showed that emotional words within a self-related context again increased conflict adaptation, whereas this effect was not observed in the sender-related context. Taken together, these results are the first to show that phasic arousal elicited by emotional words increases conflict adaptation, in particular when these words have high self-relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Landman
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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24
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Berger A, Mitschke V, Dignath D, Eder A, van Steenbergen H. The face of control: Corrugator supercilii tracks aversive conflict signals in the service of adaptive cognitive control. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13524. [PMID: 31930536 PMCID: PMC7079141 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control is the ability to monitor, evaluate, and adapt behavior in the service of long‐term goals. Recent theories have proposed that the integral negative emotions elicited by conflict are critical for the adaptive adjustment of cognitive control. However, evidence for the negative valence of conflict in cognitive control tasks mainly comes from behavioral studies that interrupted trial sequences, making it difficult to directly test the link between conflict‐induced affect and subsequent increases in cognitive control. In the present study, we therefore use online measures of valence‐sensitive electromyography (EMG) of the facial corrugator (frowning) and zygomaticus (smiling) muscles while measuring the adaptive cognitive control in a Stroop‐like task. In line with the prediction that conflict is aversive, results showed that conflict relative to non‐conflict trials led to increased activity of the corrugator muscles after correct responses, both in a flanker task (Experiment 1) and in a prime‐probe task (Experiment 2). This conflict‐induced corrugator activity effect correlated marginally with conflict‐driven increases in cognitive control in the next trial in the confound‐minimalized task used in Experiment 2. However, in the absence of performance feedback (Experiment 3), no reliable effect of conflict was observed in the facial muscle activity despite robust behavioral conflict adaptation. Taken together, our results show that facial EMG can be used as an indirect index of the temporal dynamics of conflict‐induced aversive signals and/or effortful processes in particular when performance feedback is presented, providing important new insights into the dynamic affective nature of cognitive control. Cognitive control plays a pivotal role in goal‐directed behavior. Nevertheless, it still remains elusive what mechanisms determine how cognitive control is recruited. Recent theories have proposed that negative emotions elicited by conflict help to adaptively increase the cognitive control. Although there is indeed accumulating evidence for the negative valence of conflict, no study has yet linked this directly to increased adaptive control. Using valence‐sensitive EMG measures, we here show that conflict is associated with increased activation of the corrugator (frowning) muscle and that the size of this effect predicts the size of conflict‐driven control adjustment in the next trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Berger
- Department of Psychology, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Mitschke
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - David Dignath
- Institute for Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Andreas Eder
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden University Institute of Psychology, Leiden, The Netherlands
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25
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Bartoli E, Conner CR, Kadipasaoglu CM, Yellapantula S, Rollo MJ, Carter CS, Tandon N. Temporal Dynamics of Human Frontal and Cingulate Neural Activity During Conflict and Cognitive Control. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3842-3856. [PMID: 29028974 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control refers to the ability to produce flexible, goal-oriented behavior in the face of changing task demands and conflicting response tendencies. A classic cognitive control experiment is the Stroop-color naming task, which requires participants to name the color in which a word is written while inhibiting the tendency to read the word. By comparing stimuli with conflicting word-color associations to congruent ones, control processes over response tendencies can be isolated. We assessed the spatial specificity and temporal dynamics in the theta and gamma bands for regions engaged in detecting and resolving conflict in a cohort of 13 patients using a combination of high-resolution surface and depth recordings. We show that cognitive control manifests as a sustained increase in gamma band power, which correlates with response time. Conflict elicits a sustained gamma power increase but a transient theta power increase, specifically localized to the left cingulate sulcus and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Additionally, activity in DLPFC is affected by trial-by-trial modulation of cognitive control (the Gratton effect). Altogether, the sustained local neural activity in dorsolateral and medial regions is what determines the timing of the correct response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Bartoli
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher R Conner
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cihan M Kadipasaoglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sudha Yellapantula
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J Rollo
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
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26
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Abstract
The measurement of psychological properties often relies on discrete measures, for example, answers in questionnaires or responses in tasks. This focus on discrete measures neglects information that is present in the process leading to an answer or a response. A method to trace such processes is mouse tracking. Mouse tracking promises to open a continuous window onto the processes leading from a stimulus to a response. However, most mouse-tracking studies fall short of the promise to extract dynamic psychometrically valid markers for the different sub-processes, which are intertwined on the way to the final response. Here we used time-continuous multiple regression (TCMR) to extract dynamic markers for the different sub-processes leading to a response. From these markers, we extracted information about the timing, the duration, and the strength of the influence of the different sub-processes. We evaluated these dynamic measures of sub-processes for their psychometric properties, i.e. reliability, which is a basis for their use in the study of individual differences. Furthermore, we applied these dynamic measures in a group-level study to identify differences in the sub-processes of resolving response conflict between groups performing either a Simon or a flanker task. We found specific temporal patterns that match predictions from a conceptual model of these tasks. We concluded that the extracted information from mouse movements could be used as psychometrically valid dynamic measures of psychological properties and their differences across individuals and situations.A software toolbox to perform the described analyses in Matlab is provided (osf.io/5e3vn).
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27
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Straub E, Kiesel A, Dignath D. Cognitive control of emotional distraction – valence-specific or general? Cogn Emot 2019; 34:807-821. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1666799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Straub
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Kiesel
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - David Dignath
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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28
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Sidarus N, Palminteri S, Chambon V. Cost-benefit trade-offs in decision-making and learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007326. [PMID: 31490934 PMCID: PMC6750595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Value-based decision-making involves trading off the cost associated with an action against its expected reward. Research has shown that both physical and mental effort constitute such subjective costs, biasing choices away from effortful actions, and discounting the value of obtained rewards. Facing conflicts between competing action alternatives is considered aversive, as recruiting cognitive control to overcome conflict is effortful. Moreover, engaging control to proactively suppress irrelevant information that could conflict with task-relevant information would presumably also be cognitively costly. Yet, it remains unclear whether the cognitive control demands involved in preventing and resolving conflict also constitute costs in value-based decisions. The present study investigated this question by embedding irrelevant distractors (flanker arrows) within a reversal-learning task, with intermixed free and instructed trials. Results showed that participants learned to adapt their free choices to maximize rewards, but were nevertheless biased to follow the suggestions of irrelevant distractors. Thus, the perceived cost of investing cognitive control to suppress an external suggestion could sometimes trump internal value representations. By adapting computational models of reinforcement learning, we assessed the influence of conflict at both the decision and learning stages. Modelling the decision showed that free choices were more biased when participants were less sure about which action was more rewarding. This supports the hypothesis that the costs linked to conflict management were traded off against expected rewards. During the learning phase, we found that learning rates were reduced in instructed, relative to free, choices. Learning rates were further reduced by conflict between an instruction and subjective action values, whereas learning was not robustly influenced by conflict between one’s actions and external distractors. Our results show that the subjective cognitive control costs linked to conflict factor into value-based decision-making, and highlight that different types of conflict may have different effects on learning about action outcomes. Value-based decision-making involves trading off the cost associated with an action–such as physical or mental effort–against its expected reward. Although facing conflicts between competing action alternatives is considered aversive and effortful, it remains unclear whether conflict also constitutes a cost in value-based decisions. We tested this hypothesis by combining a classic conflict (flanker) task with a reinforcement-learning task. Results showed that participants learned to maximise their earnings, but were nevertheless biased to follow irrelevant suggestions. Computational model-based analyses showed a greater choice bias with more uncertainty about the best action to make, supporting the hypothesis that the costs linked to conflict management were traded off against expected rewards. We additionally found that learning rates were reduced when following instructions, relative to when choosing freely what to do. Learning was further reduced by conflict between instructions and subjective action values. In short, we found that the subjective cognitive control costs linked to conflict factor into value-based decision-making, and that different types of conflict may have different effects on learning about action outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nura Sidarus
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Computationnelles, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL University, Paris, France
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Surrey, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefano Palminteri
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Computationnelles, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Valérian Chambon
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
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29
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Erb CD, Cavanagh JF. Layers of latent effects in cognitive control: An EEG investigation. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 195:1-11. [PMID: 30831386 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research demonstrates that two components of reaching behavior - initiation time (the time elapsed from stimulus presentation to movement initiation) and reach curvature (the degree to which a reach movement deviates from a direct path to the selected response) - exhibit distinct cross-trial dynamics in cognitive control tasks, indicating that these components of behavior reflect two dissociable processes underlying cognitive control: a threshold adjustment process involving the inhibition of motor output and a controlled selection process involving the recruitment of top-down resources to support goal-relevant behavior. The current study investigates the extent to which the cross-trial dynamics previously observed in reaching behavior in the Eriksen flanker task are reflected in event-related potentials during standard button-press responses. Candidate EEG measures of the threshold adjustment process (N2 and Pre-LRP amplitudes) failed to reveal the cross-trial dynamics previously observed in initiation times. Slow wave amplitudes exhibited a close correspondence to the cross-trial dynamics observed in reach curvatures, indicating that the measure is sensitive to some functions of the controlled selection process. Further, LRP slopes presented a close correspondence to the cross-trial dynamics observed in response times, indicating that this measure reflects the combined output of the threshold adjustment process and controlled selection process. The implications of these findings for future research examining the links among behavioral and neural dynamics are discussed.
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30
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Abstract
Pupillometry research has experienced an enormous revival in the last two decades. Here we briefly review the surge of recent studies on task-evoked pupil dilation in the context of cognitive control tasks with the primary aim being to evaluate the feasibility of using pupil dilation as an index of effort exertion, rather than task demand or difficulty. Our review shows that across the three cognitive control domains of updating, switching, and inhibition, increases in task demands typically leads to increases in pupil dilation. Studies show a diverging pattern with respect to the relationship between pupil dilation and performance and we show how an effort account of pupil dilation can provide an explanation of these findings. We also discuss future directions to further corroborate this account in the context of recent theories on cognitive control and effort and their potential neurobiological substrates.
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31
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Steinhauser M, Andersen SK. Rapid adaptive adjustments of selective attention following errors revealed by the time course of steady-state visual evoked potentials. Neuroimage 2018; 186:83-92. [PMID: 30366075 PMCID: PMC6347567 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.10.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Directing attention to task-relevant stimuli is crucial for successful task performance, but too much attentional selectivity implies that new and unexpected information in the environment remains undetected. A possible mechanism for optimizing this fundamental trade-off could be an error monitoring system that immediately triggers attentional adjustments following the detection of behavioral errors. However, the existence of rapid adaptive post-error adjustments has been controversially debated. While preconscious error processing reflected by an error-related negativity (Ne/ERN) in the event-related potential has been shown to occur within milliseconds after errors, more recent studies concluded that error detection even impairs attentional selectivity and that adaptive adjustments are implemented, if at all, only after errors are consciously detected. Here, we employ steady-state visual evoked potentials elicited by continuously presented stimuli to precisely track the emergence of error-induced attentional adjustments. Our results indicate that errors lead to an immediate reallocation of attention towards task-relevant stimuli, which occurs simultaneously with the Ne/ERN. Single-trial variation of this adjustment was correlated with the Ne/ERN amplitude and predicted adaptive behavioral adjustments on the post-error trial. This suggests that early error monitoring in the medial frontal cortex is directly involved in eliciting adaptive attentional adjustments. SSVEPs were used to track the time course of attentional post-error adjustments. Errors lead to an immediate allocation of attention to relevant stimuli. Adjustments occur simultaneously with Ne/ERN and correlate with its amplitude. Adjustments predict adaptive behavioral adjustments on post-error trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Steinhauser
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstraße 25, 85072, Eichstätt, Germany.
| | - Søren K Andersen
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, United Kingdom
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Naefgen C, Janczyk M. Smaller backward crosstalk effects for free choice tasks are not the result of immediate conflict adaptation. Cogn Process 2018; 20:73-85. [PMID: 30306368 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-018-0887-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In dual-task situations, mutual interference phenomena are often observed. One particularly interesting example of such phenomena is that even Task 1 performance is improved if Task 2 requires a compatible (e.g., both responses are given on the left side) instead of an incompatible response (e.g., one response is given on the right side, and the other on the left side). This is called the compatibility-based backward crosstalk effect (BCE). In a previous paper, we observed support for a critical role of stimulus-response (S-R) links in causing this effect: The BCE was smaller when one of the two tasks was a free choice task. However, an alternative explanation for this observation is that free choice tasks lead to immediate conflict adaptation, thereby reducing the interference from the other task. In the present two experiments, we tested this explanation by varying the amount of conflict assumed to be induced by a free choice task either sequentially (Exp. 1) or block-wise (Exp. 2). While we replicated a sequential modulation of the BCE with two forced choice tasks, we observed (1) no reduction of the BCE induced by (compatible) free choice trials nor (2) an effect of block-wise manipulations of the frequency of free choice trials on the size of the BCE. Thus, while the BCE is sensitive to sequential modulations induced by the (in)compatibility of two forced choice responses, which might point to conflict adaptation, the reduced BCE in dual-task situations involving a free choice task is likely due to its weaker S-R links.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Naefgen
- Department of Psychology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Markus Janczyk
- Department of Psychology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Weissman DH, Drake B, Colella K, Samuel D. Perceptual load is not always a crucial determinant of early versus late selection. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2018; 185:125-135. [PMID: 29454940 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The perceptual load hypothesis posits that early and late selection occurs under conditions of high and low perceptual load, respectively. Recent work, however, suggests that the absence of a congruency effect in high-load trials - the behavioral signature of early selection in studies of perceptual load - may not provide an exhaustive index of failing to identify task-irrelevant distractors. Prior research also suggests that the congruency sequence effect (CSE) - a modulation of the congruency effect after incongruent relative to congruent trials - provides complementary information about whether participants identify distractors. We therefore conducted a novel test of the perceptual load hypothesis that employed both the congruency effect and the CSE as measures of distractor identification. Experiment 1 revealed that distractors were identified not only in low-load trials but also in high-load trials wherein there was no overall congruency effect. Experiment 2 further revealed which task parameters allowed us to observe such "hidden" distractor identification. These findings suggest that perceptual load is not always a crucial determinant of early versus late selection.
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Abstract
Folk wisdom tells us that additional time to make a decision helps us to refrain from the first impulse to take the bird in the hand. However, the question why the time to decide plays an important role is still unanswered. Here we distinguish two explanations, one based on a bias in value accumulation that has to be overcome with time, the other based on cognitive control processes that need time to set in. In an intertemporal decision task, we use mouse tracking to study participants' responses to options' values and delays which were presented sequentially. We find that the information about options' delays does indeed lead to an immediate bias that is controlled afterwards, matching the prediction of control processes needed to counter initial impulses. Hence, by using a dynamic measure, we provide insight into the processes underlying short-term oriented choices in intertemporal decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Scherbaum
- 1 Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Frisch
- 1 Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
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35
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Lee YI, Choi Y, Jeong J. Character drawing style in cartoons on empathy induction: an eye-tracking and EEG study. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3988. [PMID: 29152415 PMCID: PMC5687150 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In its most basic form, empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s feelings and emotions, representing an essential component of human social interaction. Owing to an increase in the use of mass media, which is used to distribute high levels of empathy-inducing content, media plays a key role in individual and social empathy induction. We investigated empathy induction in cartoons using eye movement, EEG and behavioral measures to explore whether empathy factors correlate with character drawing styles. Two different types of empathy-inducing cartoons that consisted of three stages and had the same story plot were used. One had an iconic style, while the other was realistic style. Fifty participants were divided into two groups corresponding to the individual cartoon drawing styles and were presented with only one type of drawing style. We found that there were no significant differences of empathy factors between iconic and realistic style. However, the Induced Empathy Score (IES) had a close relationship with subsequent attentional processing (total fixation length for gaze duration). Furthermore, iconic style suppressed the fronto-central area more than realistic style in the gamma power band. These results suggest that iconic cartoons have the advantage of abstraction during empathy induction, because the iconic cartoons induced the same level of empathy as realistic cartoons while using the same story plot (top-down process), even though lesser time and effort were required by the cartoon artist to draw them. This also means that the top-down process (story plot) is more important than the bottom-up process (drawing style) in empathy induction when viewing cartoons
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Il Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeojeong Choi
- HE Design Lab, LG Electronics, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Jeong
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Janssens C, De Loof E, Boehler CN, Pourtois G, Verguts T. Occipital alpha power reveals fast attentional inhibition of incongruent distractors. Psychophysiology 2017; 55. [PMID: 28929499 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent associative models of cognitive control hypothesize that cognitive control can be learned (optimized) for task-specific settings via associations between perceptual, motor, and control representations, and, once learned, control can be implemented rapidly. Midfrontal brain areas signal the need for control, and control is subsequently implemented by biasing sensory representations, boosting or suppressing activity in brain areas processing task-relevant or task-irrelevant information. To assess the timescale of this process, we employed EEG. In order to pinpoint control implementation in specific sensory areas, we used a flanker task with incongruent flankers shown in only one hemifield (congruent flankers in the other hemifield) isolating their processing in the contralateral hemisphere. ERPs revealed fast modulations specifically in visual processing areas contralateral to the incongruent flankers. To test whether these modulations reflect increased or decreased processing of incongruent flankers, we investigated alpha power, a marker for attentional inhibition. Importantly, we show increased alpha power over visual areas processing incongruent flankers from 300 to 500 ms poststimulus onset. This suggests fast cognitive control by attentional inhibition for information disrupting goal-oriented actions. Additionally, we show that midfrontal theta earlier in the trial is also modulated by incongruency, and that theta power predicts subsequent alpha power modulations. This supports the hypothesis that midfrontal incongruency detection leads to control implementation, and reveals that these mechanisms take place on a fast, within-trial timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clio Janssens
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Esther De Loof
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - C Nico Boehler
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gilles Pourtois
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Verguts
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Verbruggen F, McLaren R. Development of between-trial response strategy adjustments in a continuous action control task: A cross-sectional study. J Exp Child Psychol 2017; 162:39-57. [PMID: 28578245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Response strategies are constantly adjusted in ever-changing environments. According to many researchers, this involves executive control. This study examined how children (aged 4-11years) and young adults (aged 18-21years) adjusted response strategies in a continuous action control task. Participants needed to move a stimulus to a target location, but on a minority of the trials (change trials) the target location changed. When this happened, participants needed to change their movement. We examined how performance was influenced by the properties of the previous trial. We found that no-change performance was impaired, but change performance was improved, when a change signal was presented on the previous trial. Extra analyses revealed that the between-trial effects on no-change trials were not influenced by the repetition of the previous stimulus. Combined, these findings provide support for the idea that response strategies were adjusted on a trial-by-trial basis. Importantly, we observed large age-related differences in overall change and no-change latencies but observed no differences in response strategy adjustments. This is consistent with findings obtained with other paradigms and suggests that adjustment mechanisms mature at a faster rate than other "executive" action control mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Verbruggen
- School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Rossy McLaren
- School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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Naefgen C, Caissie AF, Janczyk M. Stimulus-response links and the backward crosstalk effect - A comparison of forced- and free-choice tasks. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2017; 177:23-29. [PMID: 28448839 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In dual-tasks, characteristics of Task 2 responses can already affect performance in the preceding Task 1. This is called the backward crosstalk effect (BCE). To account for the BCE, it has been suggested that the appearance of the Task 2 stimulus automatically projects activation onto the corresponding response through (transient or direct) stimulus-response (S-R) links. One way to investigate this claim is to compare the size of the BCE for tasks where S-R links are differently strong. To this end, we here compared BCEs for forced- vs. free-choice tasks, with the S-R links assumed to be stronger in the former than in the latter task. In Experiments 1 and 2, Task 1 was either forced-choice or free-choice and Task 2 always forced-choice, and in Experiment 3 this order was reversed. A BCE was observed in all experiments with the forced-choice tasks, but in response times it was smaller in Experiments 1 and 2 and absent in Experiment 3 with the free-choice task. However, in free-choice Task 1 responses, a bias towards selecting the response required in Task 2 was observed. These results suggest that the strength of S-R links plays a role in determining the size of the BCE. Relations to other studies and alternative explanations are discussed.
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Verguts T. Binding by Random Bursts: A Computational Model of Cognitive Control. J Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:1103-1118. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
A neural synchrony model of cognitive control is proposed. It construes cognitive control as a higher-level action to synchronize lower-level brain areas. Here, a controller prefrontal area (medial frontal cortex) can synchronize two cortical processing areas. The synchrony is achieved by a random theta frequency-locked neural burst sent to both areas. The choice of areas that receive this burst is determined by lateral frontal cortex. As a result of this synchrony, communication between the two areas becomes more efficient. The model is tested on the classical Stroop cognitive control task, and its operation is explored in several simulations. Both reactive and proactive controls are implemented via theta power modulation. Increasing theta power improves behavioral performance; furthermore, via theta–gamma phase–amplitude coupling, theta also increases gamma frequency power and synchrony in posterior processing areas. Thus, the model solves a central computational problem for cognitive control (how to allow rapid communication between arbitrary brain areas), while making rich contact with behavioral and neurophysiological data.
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Scherbaum S, Frisch S, Dshemuchadse M. Step by step: Harvesting the dynamics of delay discounting decisions. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2017; 71:949-964. [PMID: 28300478 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2017.1307863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
People show a tendency to devalue rewards when they are delayed in time. This so-called delay discounting often happens to an extent that seems irrational from an economical perspective. Research studying outcomes of delay discounting decisions has successfully derived descriptive models for such choice preferences. However, this outcome-based approach faces limitations in integrating the influence of contextual factors on the decision. Recently, this outcome-centred perspective on delay discounting has been complemented by a focus on the process dynamics leading to delay discounting decisions. Here, we embrace and add to this approach: We show how an attractor model can extend discounting descriptive discounting curves into the temporal dimension. From the model, we derive three predictions and study the predictions in a delay discounting experiment based on mouse tracking. We find differences in discounting depending on the order of option presentation and more direct movements to options presented first. Together with the analysis of specific temporal patterns of information integration, these results show that considering the continuous process dynamics of delay discounting decisions and harvesting them with continuous behavioural measures allow the integration of contextual factors into existing models of delay discounting, not as noise but as a signal on their own.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Scherbaum
- 1 Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Simon Frisch
- 1 Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maja Dshemuchadse
- 2 Faculty of Social Sciences, Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz, Zittau, Germany
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Hubbard J, Kuhns D, Schäfer TAJ, Mayr U. Is conflict adaptation due to active regulation or passive carry-over? Evidence from eye movements. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 2016; 43:385-393. [PMID: 27656869 DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Conflict-adaptation effects (i.e., reduced response-time costs on high-conflict trials following high-conflict trials) supposedly represent our cognitive system's ability to regulate itself according to current processing demands. However, currently it is not clear whether these effects reflect conflict-triggered, active regulation, or passive carry-over of previous-trial control settings. We used eye movements to examine whether the degree of experienced conflict modulates conflict-adaptation effects, as the conflict-triggered regulation view predicts. Across 2 experiments in which participants had to identify a target stimulus based on an endogenous cue while-on conflict trials-having to resist a sudden-onset distractor, we found a clear indication of conflict adaptation. This adaptation effect disappeared however, when participants inadvertently fixated the sudden-onset distractor on the previous trial-that is, when they experienced a high degree of conflict. This pattern of results suggests that conflict adaptation can be explained parsimoniously in terms of a broader memory process that retains recently adopted control settings across trials. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Kuhns
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
| | | | - Ulrich Mayr
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
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42
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Abrahamse E, Ruitenberg M, Duthoo W, Sabbe B, Morrens M, van Dijck JP. Conflict adaptation in schizophrenia: reviewing past and previewing future efforts. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2016; 21:197-212. [PMID: 27100079 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2016.1167679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive control impairments have been suggested to be a critical component in the overall cognitive deficits observed in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Here, we zoom in on a specific function of cognitive control, conflict adaptation. Abnormal neural activity patterns have been observed for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in core conflict adaptation areas such as anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex. On the one hand, this strongly indicates that conflict adaptation is affected. On the other hand, however, outcomes at the behavioural level are needed to create a window into a precise interpretation of this abnormal neural activity. METHODS We present a narrative review of behavioural work within the context of conflict adaptation in schizophrenia, focusing on various major conflict adaptation markers: congruency sequence effects, proportion congruency effects, and post-error and post-conflict slowing. The review emphasises both methodological and theoretical aspects that are relevant to the understanding of conflict adaptation in schizophrenia. RESULTS Based on the currently available set of behavioural studies on conflict adaptation, no clear-cut answer can be provided as to the precise conflict adaptation processes that are impaired (and to what extent) in schizophrenia populations. CONCLUSIONS Future work is needed in state-of-the-art designs in order to reach better insight into the specifics of conflict adaptation impairments associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elger Abrahamse
- a Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Marit Ruitenberg
- a Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.,b School of Kinesiology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Wout Duthoo
- a Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Bernard Sabbe
- c Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute , University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium.,d University Department of Psychiatry , Campus Psychiatric Hospital Duffel , Duffel , Belgium
| | - Manuel Morrens
- c Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute , University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium.,d University Department of Psychiatry , Campus Psychiatric Hospital Duffel , Duffel , Belgium.,e Psychiatric Hospital Broeders Alexianen , Boechout , Belgium
| | - Jean-Philippe van Dijck
- a Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium.,c Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute , University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium
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43
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Shifts in target modality cause attentional reset: Evidence from sequential modulation of crossmodal congruency effects. Psychon Bull Rev 2016; 23:1466-1473. [DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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45
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Switches of stimulus tagging frequencies interact with the conflict-driven control of selective attention, but not with inhibitory control. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 99:103-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Duthoo W, Abrahamse EL, Braem S, Notebaert W. Going, going, gone? Proactive control prevents the congruency sequence effect from rapid decay. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 78:483-93. [PMID: 24077774 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-013-0498-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The congruency sequence effect, the finding of a reduced congruency effect following incongruent trials in conflict tasks, has received considerable attention in the research on cognitive control over the last two decades. This effect can reflect either the expectancy-guided, preparatory biasing of attention in anticipation of the upcoming stimulus (i.e. proactive control), or the phasic enhancement of the attentional set in response to conflict on the previous trial (i.e. reactive control). A recent study by Egner et al. in Front Psychol 1 (2010) set out to contrast these two alternatives, by exploring the congruency sequence effect across a wide range of inter-trial intervals. It was found that congruency sequence effects were subject to rapid decay over time. This decay fits well with the notion of reactive control, while at the same time speaking against the involvement of proactive regulation—which should also (and even mainly) be evident at longer intervals. In the present study, we first replicate the reduction of the congruency sequence effect with increasing inter-trial interval in a face-word Stroop task. In a second experiment, we show that congruency sequence effects are observed at longer intervals, too, when the proportion of trials with the longest inter-trial interval is increased. Our findings indicate that proactive control can prevent the congruency sequence effect from decaying rapidly.
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van Steenbergen H, Band GPH, Hommel B. Does conflict help or hurt cognitive control? Initial evidence for an inverted U-shape relationship between perceived task difficulty and conflict adaptation. Front Psychol 2015. [PMID: 26217287 PMCID: PMC4498021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequential modulation of congruency effects in conflict tasks indicates that cognitive control quickly adapts to changing task demands. We investigated in four experiments how this behavioral congruency-sequence effect relates to different levels of perceived task difficulty in a flanker and a Stroop task. In addition, online measures of pupil diameter were used as a physiological index of effort mobilization. Consistent with motivational accounts predicting that increased levels of perceived task difficulty will increase effort mobilization only up to a certain limit, reliable dynamic conflict-driven adjustment in cognitive control was only observed when task difficulty was relatively low. Instead, tasks tentatively associated with high levels of difficulty showed no or reversed conflict adaptation. Although the effects could not be linked consistently to effects in self-reported task difficulty in all experiments, regression analyses showed associations between perceived task difficulty and conflict adaptation in some of the experiments, which provides some initial evidence for an inverted U-shape relationship between perceived difficulty and adaptations in cognitive control. Furthermore, high levels of task difficulty were associated with a conflict-driven reduction in pupil dilation, suggesting that pupil dilation can be used as a physiological marker of mental overload. Our findings underscore the importance of developing models that are grounded in motivational accounts of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk van Steenbergen
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition and Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Guido P H Band
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition and Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition and Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
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Fritz J, Fischer R, Dreisbach G. The influence of negative stimulus features on conflict adaption: evidence from fluency of processing. Front Psychol 2015; 6:185. [PMID: 25767453 PMCID: PMC4341425 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control enables adaptive behavior in a dynamically changing environment. In this context, one prominent adaptation effect is the sequential conflict adjustment, i.e., the observation of reduced response interference on trials following conflict trials. Increasing evidence suggests that such response conflicts are registered as aversive signals. So far, however, the functional role of this aversive signal for conflict adaptation to occur has not been put to test directly. In two experiments, the affective valence of conflict stimuli was manipulated by fluency of processing (stimulus contrast). Experiment 1 used a flanker interference task, Experiment 2 a color-word Stroop task. In both experiments, conflict adaptation effects were only present in fluent, but absent in disfluent trials. Results thus speak against the simple idea that any aversive stimulus feature is suited to promote specific conflict adjustments. Two alternative but not mutually exclusive accounts, namely resource competition and adaptation-by-motivation, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fritz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg , Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rico Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden , Dresden, Germany
| | - Gesine Dreisbach
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg , Regensburg, Germany
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The influence of approach-avoidance motivational orientation on conflict adaptation. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 14:548-60. [PMID: 24841080 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-014-0295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To deal effectively with a continuously changing environment, our cognitive system adaptively regulates resource allocation. Earlier findings showed that an avoidance orientation (induced by arm extension), relative to an approach orientation (induced by arm flexion), enhanced sustained cognitive control. In avoidance conditions, performance on a cognitive control task was enhanced, as indicated by a reduced congruency effect, relative to approach conditions. Extending these findings, in the present behavioral studies we investigated dynamic adaptations in cognitive control-that is, conflict adaptation. We proposed that an avoidance state recruits more resources in response to conflicting signals, and thereby increases conflict adaptation. Conversely, in an approach state, conflict processing diminishes, which consequently weakens conflict adaptation. As predicted, approach versus avoidance arm movements affected both behavioral congruency effects and conflict adaptation: As compared to approach, avoidance movements elicited reduced congruency effects and increased conflict adaptation. These results are discussed in line with a possible underlying neuropsychological model.
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Ad-hoc and context-dependent adjustments of selective attention in conflict control: an ERP study with visual probes. Neuroimage 2014; 107:76-84. [PMID: 25482266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive conflict control in flanker tasks has often been described using the zoom-lens metaphor of selective attention. However, whether and how selective attention - in terms of suppression and enhancement - operates in this context has remained unclear. To examine the dynamic interplay of selective attention and cognitive control we used electrophysiological measures and presented task-irrelevant visual probe stimuli at foveal, parafoveal, and peripheral display positions. Target-flanker congruency varied either randomly from trial to trial (mixed-block) or block-wise (fixed-block) in order to induce reactive versus proactive control modes, respectively. Three EEG measures were used to capture ad-hoc adjustments within trials as well as effects of context-based predictions: the N1 component of the visual evoked potential (VEP) to probes, the VEP to targets, and the conflict-related midfrontal N2 component. Results from probe-VEPs indicate that enhanced processing of the foveal target rather than suppression of the peripheral flankers supports interference control. In incongruent mixed-block trials VEPs were larger to probes near the targets. In the fixed-blocks probe-VEPs were not modulated, but contrary to the mixed-block the preceding target-related VEP was affected by congruency. Results of the control-related N2 reveal largest amplitudes in the unpredictable context, which did not differentiate for stimulus and response incongruency. In contrast, in the predictable context, N2 amplitudes were reduced overall and differentiated between stimulus and response incongruency. Taken together these results imply that predictability alters interference control by a reconfiguration of stimulus processing. During unpredictable sequences participants adjust their attentional focus dynamically on a trial-by-trial basis as reflected in congruency-dependent probe-VEP-modulation. This reactive control mode also elicits larger N2 amplitudes. In contrast, when task demands are predictable, participants focus selective attention earlier as reflected in the target-related VEPs. This proactive control mode leads to smaller N2 amplitudes and absent probe effects.
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