The dynamics of cognitive control: Evidence for within-trial conflict adaptation from frequency-tagged EEG

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

A central topic in the cognitive sciences is how cognitive control is adapted flexibly to changing task demands. Conflict monitoring theory originally proposed conflict triggered adjustments of cognitive control after a conflict trial to improve subsequent performance. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that readjustments of cognitive control occur continuously within a conflict trial itself. Using frequency tagged electroencephalogram in a flanker task, we traced the allocation of attention to target and distracter stimuli. We found evidence for a conflict-triggered within-trial contrast enhancement dissociating target and distracters. This contrast enhancement vanished for consecutive trials with constant tagging frequencies, indicating that trial-to-trial conflict adaptation effects may, at least partly, be the product of interacting processes serving conflict resolution within trials.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)591-600
Number of pages10
JournalPsychophysiology
Volume48
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 79953277232
ORCID /0000-0002-4408-6016/work/142234339

Keywords