Meier Beat, Woodward Todd S, Rey-Mermet Alodie, Graf Peter
University of Bern, 3000 Bern 9, Switzerland.
Can J Exp Psychol. 2009 Sep;63(3):201-10. doi: 10.1037/a0014311.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the generality and temporal endurance of the bivalency effect in task switching. This effect refers to the slowing on univalent stimuli that occurs when bivalent stimuli appear occasionally. We used a paradigm involving predictable switches between 3 simple tasks, with bivalent stimuli occasionally occurring on one of the tasks. The generality of the bivalency effect was investigated by using different tasks and different types of bivalent stimuli, and the endurance of this effect was investigated across different intertrial intervals (ITIs) and across the univalent trials that followed trials with bivalent stimuli. In 3 experiments, the results showed a general, robust, and enduring bivalency effect for all ITI conditions. Although the effect declined across trials, it remained significant for about 4 trials following one with a bivalent stimulus. Our findings emphasise the importance of top-down processes in task-switching performance.
本研究的目的是调查任务转换中双价效应的普遍性和时间持续性。这种效应是指当偶尔出现双价刺激时，单价刺激的反应速度会减慢。我们采用了一种范式，涉及在3个简单任务之间进行可预测的转换，其中双价刺激偶尔出现在其中一个任务上。通过使用不同的任务和不同类型的双价刺激来研究双价效应的普遍性，并在不同的试次间隔（ITIs）以及跟随双价刺激试次之后的单价试次中研究这种效应的持续性。在3个实验中，结果显示在所有试次间隔条件下都存在普遍、稳健且持久的双价效应。尽管这种效应在各试次中有所下降，但在出现双价刺激的试次之后的大约4个试次中仍具有显著性。我们的研究结果强调了自上而下的加工过程在任务转换表现中的重要性。
