Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: This study examined cross-task compatibility and aging on dual-task and taskswitching performance.Koch and Prinz' (2002) work on cross-task compatibility suggests that response code activation improves performance when dual tasks are performed.That is, switching from a first task to a second task has a greater performance benefit when both tasks share the same specific response code.The role of aging on cross-task compatibility effects was examined in this dissertation.Three specific hypotheses were examined.The first hypothesis was that the method used in Experiment 1 would replicate the cross-task compatibility effects found in Koch and Prinz (2002).The second hypothesis was that older adults would demonstrate a comparable, if not better, benefit from cross-task compatibility as younger adults (both Experiments 1 and 2).The third hypothesis was that increased stimulus-stimulus compatibility would have a positive performance effect on the cross-task compatibility effect (Experiment 2).The results of Experiment 1 were consistent with the findings of Koch and Prinz, thus supporting Hypothesis 1.In regards to Hypothesis 2 for Experiment 1 and 2, older adults demonstrated a benefit for cross-task compatibility.There was no significant interaction between age and compatibility which suggested that the benefit for older adults from compatibility was not different from the benefit received for younger adults.Experiment 2 tested the 3 rd hypothesis.The results of Experiment 2 demonstrated that on cross-task iv compatible trials when there is a further compatible element between the stimuli (stimulus-stimulus compatibility) on both tasks there is not a greater benefit for reaction time performance than cross-task compatibility alone.The results of these two experiments were discussed in terms of benefits to task-switching and the implications for task-switching and aging.
Author: Jeremy W. Grabbe
Institution: University of Akron
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2278512530