Work

Control of task sequences: What is the role of language?

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: It is almost a truism that language aids serial-order control through self-cuing of upcoming sequential elements. We measured speech onset latencies as subjects performed hierarchically organized task sequences while "thinking aloud" each task label. Surprisingly, speech onset latencies and response times (RTs) were highly synchronized, a pattern that is not consistent with the hypothesis that speaking aids proactive retrieval of upcoming sequential elements during serial-order control. We also found that when instructed to do so, subjects were able to speak task labels prior to presentation of response-relevant stimuli and that this substantially reduced RT signatures of retrieval-however, at the cost of more sequencing errors. Thus, while proactive retrieval is possible in principle, in natural situations it seems to be prevented through a strong "gestalt-like" tendency to synchronize speech and action. We suggest that this tendency may support context updating rather than proactive control.

Source: Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition

DOI: 10.1037/a0035221

Authors: Ulrich Mayr, Killian Kleffner-Canucci, Atsushi Kikumoto, Melissa A. Redford

Institution: University of Oregon

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Aging

Awards: G2585367282, Capturing Control Dynamics Via Eye-Movements: General and Age-Comparative Analyse