Trial-to-trial modulations of the Simon effect in conditions of attentional limitations: Evidence from dual tasks

J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 2010 Dec;36(6):1576-94. doi: 10.1037/a0019326.

Abstract

Interference effects are reduced after trials including response conflict. This sequential modulation has often been attributed to a top-down mediated adaptive control mechanism and/or to feature repetition mechanisms. In the present study we tested whether mechanisms responsible for such sequential modulations are subject to attentional limitations under dual-task situations. Participants performed a Simon task in mixed single- and dual-task contexts (Experiment 1), in blocked contexts with dual-task load either, in trialN (Experiment 2a), in trialN-1 (Experiment 2b), or in both trials (Experiment 3). Results showed that the occurrence of a sequential modulation did not depend on dual-task load per se as it occurred predominantly in conditions of lowest and highest task load. Instead, task factors such as the repetition of task episodes and stimulus-response repetitions determined whether a sequential modulation occurred.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Attention*
  • Conflict, Psychological*
  • Cues
  • Female
  • Functional Laterality*
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Judgment
  • Male
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Orientation*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual
  • Pitch Perception
  • Psychomotor Performance*
  • Psychophysics
  • Reaction Time
  • Reversal Learning
  • Young Adult