Stimulus conflict predicts conflict adaptation in a numerical flanker task

Conflict monitoring theory states that response conflict triggers conflict adaptation, resulting in reduced congruency effects after response-incongruent trials (Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001). Verbruggen, Notebaert, Liefooghe, and Vandierendonck (2006) observed conflict adaptation after stimulus-incongruent trials without any response conflict. In this study, we further explore the hypothesis that stimulus conflict is an important trigger for conflict adaptation. We propose a measure for stimulus conflict that adequately explains the data of Verbruggen et al. and new data from a numerical flanker task. We conclude that stimulus conflict and response conflict have dissociable effects on behavior Whereas response conflict is a good predictor of response times, stimulus conflict is a better predictor of the adaptation effect.

[1]  S. Dehaene,et al.  Unconscious semantic priming extends to novel unseen stimuli , 2001, Cognition.

[2]  B. Burle,et al.  Sequential compatibility effects and cognitive control: does conflict really matter? , 2005, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[3]  James L. McClelland,et al.  An interactive activation model of context effects in letter perception: I. An account of basic findings. , 1981 .

[4]  Stanislas Dehaene,et al.  Primed numbers : Exploring the modularity of numerical representations with masked and unmasked semantic priming , 1999 .

[5]  Cameron S. Carter,et al.  Separating semantic conflict and response conflict in the Stroop task: A functional MRI study , 2005, NeuroImage.

[6]  Marc Brysbaert,et al.  Single-digit and two-digit Arabic numerals address the same semantic number line , 1999, Cognition.

[7]  Jonathan D. Cohen,et al.  Anterior Cingulate Conflict Monitoring and Adjustments in Control , 2004, Science.

[8]  M. Botvinick,et al.  Conflict monitoring and cognitive control. , 2001, Psychological review.

[9]  E. Awh,et al.  Conflict adaptation effects in the absence of executive control , 2003, Nature Neuroscience.

[10]  J. L. Myers,et al.  Regression analyses of repeated measures data in cognitive research. , 1990, Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition.

[11]  W. Notebaert,et al.  Top-down and bottom-up sequential modulations of congruency effects , 2006, Psychonomic bulletin & review.

[12]  K. Willmes,et al.  The Power of the Mental Number Line: How the Magnitude of Unattended Numbers Affects Performance in an Eriksen Task , 2005 .

[13]  B. Hommel,et al.  A feature-integration account of sequential effects in the Simon task , 2004, Psychological research.

[14]  Jonathan D. Cohen,et al.  Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Conflict Monitoring, and Levels of Processing , 2001, NeuroImage.

[15]  Frederick Verbruggen,et al.  Stimulus- and response-conflict-induced cognitive control in the flanker task , 2006, Psychonomic bulletin & review.

[16]  Lauren M. Bylsma,et al.  The conflict adaptation effect: It’s not just priming , 2005, Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience.

[17]  E. Soetens,et al.  Control over location-based response activation in the Simon task: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence. , 2002, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

[18]  S. Dehaene.  The neural bases of subliminal priming , 2003 .

[19]  U. Ansorge,et al.  Exploring trial-by-trial modulations of the Simon effect , 2005, The Quarterly journal of experimental psychology. A, Human experimental psychology.

[20]  James L. McClelland,et al.  An interactive activation model of context effects in letter perception: part 1.: an account of basic findings , 1988 .

[21]  Michaël A. Stevens,et al.  A model of exact small-number representation , 2005, Psychonomic bulletin & review.

[22]  Wilfried Kunde,et al.  Sequential modulations of stimulus-response correspondence effects depend on awareness of response conflict , 2003, Psychonomic bulletin & review.

[23]  E. Donchin,et al.  Optimizing the use of information: strategic control of activation of responses. , 1992, Journal of experimental psychology. General.

[24]  Wim Notebaert,et al.  Sequential analysis of a Simon task – evidence for an attention-shift account , 2001, Psychological research.