A Double-Registration Task Switching Paradigm With Completed And Cue-Only Trials, 2018-2021

STUDY ABSTRACT: This study examined whether preparation and performance can affect our upcoming behaviour in different ways, by examining different types of switch cost following trials that were only prepared (cue-only) or both prepared and performed (completed). In a double-registration cued task-switching procedure, participants responded to the task cue as they prepared the cued task, and to the target as they performed that task, to give switch costs at both cue (preparation) and target (performance). Cue-only trials included only a cue but no target; completed trials included both a cue and a target, and the effects of these two types of trial were assessed at cue and target responses on the following (completed) trial. Two cues were used for each task, so two types of switch cost could be calculated: the cue-switching cost (i.e., switching versus repeating cues when completing the same task) and the task-switching cost (i.e., switching versus repeating tasks, with cues switching in both cases). A different pattern of switch costs being present following completed trials than was present following cue-only trials would indicate that that preparation and performance have differing types of effect on our subsequent behaviour.