Search

The Simon task is well-known for showing robust effects of task-irrelevant features such as spatial features on performance. However, this effect has been shown to be influenced by various manipulations regarding spatial as well as other features. Recently, modulated Simon effects were reported when using for instance verbal stimulus material next to horizontal and vertical stimulus arrangements (Gade et al. 2020). Here we set out to investigate yet another potentially influential variable namely implied agency as operationalized by self-prioritization. The effect of self-prioritization (Sui et al. 2012) reveals that self-related information is processed faster and more accurately in perceptual-matching tasks. Yet, being the causal agent creating an action effect has also been shown to affect the Simon effect (Hommel 1993). This experiment aims at investigating whether implied agency information modulates the Simon effect. To this end a stick figure manikin holding a colorful ball in its left or right hand will be augmented with labels (“me”, ”friend” or ”colleague”). This task will be carried out in a vertical and horizontal layout of the Simon task. The current study investigates the influence of implied agency in both stimulus setups of the Simon task.

In this follow up project of Gade et al., 2019 we plan to investigate the impact of number of episodes for the influence of inner speech on the Simon effect and its inversion in vertical orientation. To this end, we doubled the number of episodes (from 8 to 16) and presented a nested horizontal and vertical classification task within a horizontal and vertical Simon task.

In this project we investigate the impact of stimulus material and stimulus configuration for the choice of action control mode

In our study, we plan to investigate the anticipatory eye movements and corresponding processes of proactive monitoring dependent on task switch frequency, task sequence, cue-target interval (CTI), and task-rule congruency. We argue that proactive control will rely on task-sets, benefit from preparation time and less so from congruency in case of high switching frequency. When switching frequency is low, participants will rely less on task-sets as indicated by larger congruency effects, higher switch costs, and reduced preparation benefits.