Limits of Executive Control
Frederick Verbruggen, Amy McAndrew, Gabrielle Weidemann, Tobias Stevens, Ian P. L. McLaren
Psychological Science · 2016 · Volume 27 · Issue 5
Abstract
Cognitive-control theories attribute action control to executive processes that modulate behavior on the basis of expectancy or task rules. In the current study, we examined corticospinal excitability and behavioral performance in a go/no-go task. Go and no-go trials were presented in runs of five, and go and no-go runs alternated predictably. At the beginning of each trial, subjects indicated whether they expected a go trial or a no-go trial. Analyses revealed that subjects immediately adjusted their expectancy ratings when a new run started. However, motor excitability was primarily associated with the properties of the previous trial, rather than the predicted properties of the current trial. We also observed a large latency cost at the beginning of a go run (i.e., reaction times were longer for the first trial in a go run than for the second trial). These findings indicate that actions in predictable environments are substantially influenced by previous events, even if this influence conflicts with conscious expectancies about upcoming events.
Keywords
executive control, expectancy, sequential effects, motor-evoked potentials, transcranial magnetic stimulation, open data
Enable JavaScript for citation tools and additional paper interactions.