Citation

Schlaghecken F, Martini P. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 2012; 38(2): 272-278.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0025791

PMID

21967273

Abstract

Theories of cognitive control generally assume that perceived conflict acts as a signal to engage inhibitory mechanisms that suppress subsequent conflicting information. Crucially, an absence of conflict is not regarded as being a relevant signal for cognitive control. Using a cueing, a priming, and a Simon task, we provide evidence that conflict does not have this unique signal status: Encountering a conflict does not lead to behavioral adjustments on subsequent conflict trials, whereas encountering a nonconflict trial does lead to behavioral adjustments on subsequent nonconflict trials. We propose that this apparent role-reversal can be explained by a mechanism that responds to both the presence and the absence of conflict, down-regulating the visuomotor system following conflict, and up-regulating it following nonconflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en