Executive Control in Multitask Environments

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的目标是研究人类认知系统如何快速灵活地响应不断变化的环境和行为目标。这项研究结合了行为数据的收集和洛根视觉注意力执行控制理论（ECTVA）中的数据建模。拟议的实验将使用任务切换方法，其中两个或两个以上的简单认知任务（例如分类或视觉刺激的位置）以接近的时间顺序呈现。响应时间和准确性度量提供了关于任务之间切换所涉及的过程的时间过程的信息。在ECTVA的行为数据的数学建模允许执行控制任务切换的正式模型的发展。具体的实验路线将包括：1）任务相似性对任务转换的影响的调查，2）涉及添加或删除任务组件的任务转换的比较，以及3）顺序与同时任务呈现的检查。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed research is to study how the human cognitive system responds to changing environments and behavioral goals rapidly and with great flexibility. The research combines collection of behavioral data and modeling of this data within Logan's Executive Control Theory of Visual Attention (ECTVA). The proposed experiments will use task switching methodology where two or more simple cognitive tasks (e.g. categorization or location of visual stimuli) are presented in close temporal order. Response time and accuracy measures provide information about the time course of processes involved in switching between tasks. Mathematical modeling of the behavioral data in ECTVA allows for the development of a formal model of executive control in task switching. Specific lines of experimentation will included 1) investigation of task similarity effects on task switching, 2) comparison of task switches that involve adding or deleting task components, and 3) examination of sequential versus simultaneous task presentation.