Task-Set Switching and Long-Term Memory Retrieval

• Published in: Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. 1124 - 1140
• Main Authors: Mayr, Ulrich, Kliegl, Reinhold
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-09-2000
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive Processes; Cues; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Human Information Storage; Humans; Learning. Memory; Long Term Memory; Male; Memory; Mental Recall; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time; Response Variability; Semantics; Set (Psychology); Spontaneous Alternation; Task analysis; Task Complexity; Time Factors; Time On Task; Human; Memory retrieval; Cognition; Experimental study; Long term; Memory
• ISSN: 0278-7393; 1939-1285
• DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.26.5.1124

The authors tested the hypothesis of a close relationship between the intentional component of task-set switching ("advance reconfiguration;" R. D. Rogers & S. Monsell, 1995) and long-term memory (LTM) retrieval. Consistent with this hypothesis, switch costs are reported to be larger when the switched-to task involves high retrieval demands (i.e., retrieval of episodic information) than when it involves low retrieval demands (i.e., retrieval of semantic information). In contrast, switch costs were not affected by a primary-task difficulty manipulation unrelated to intentional retrieval demands (Experiment 2). Also, the retrieval-demand effect on switch costs was eliminated when time for advanced preparation or task cues explicitly specifying the task rules were provided (Experiment 3). Overall, results were consistent with the hypothesis that the intentional switch-cost component reflects the time demands of retrieving appropriate task rules from LTM.