An Analysis of Age Related Differences for Executive Control Processes in the Task Switching Paradigm Using fMRI

Models vary in the extent to which language control processes are domain general. Those that posit that language control is at least partially domain general insist on an overlap between language control and executive control at the goal level. To further probe whether or not language control is domain general, we conducted the first event-related potential (ERP) study that directly compares language-switch costs, as an index of language control, and task-switch costs, as an index of executive control. The language switching and task switching methodology were identical, except that the former required switching between languages (English or Spanish) whereas the latter required switching between tasks (color naming or category naming). This design allowed us to directly compare control processes at the goal level (cue-locked ERPs) and at the task performance level (picture-locked ERPs). We found no significant differences in the switch-related cue-locked and picture-locked ERP patterns across the language and task switching paradigms. These results support models of domain-general language control.

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Task coordination and aging: explorations of executive control processes in the task switching paradigm

Acta Psychologica ◽

10.1016/s0001-6918(99)00011-6 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 101 (2-3) ◽

pp. 339-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 239

Author(s):

Arthur F Kramer ◽

Sowon Hahn ◽

Daniel Gopher

Keyword(s):

Task Switching ◽

Executive Control ◽

Task Coordination ◽

Control Processes

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A bilingual advantage in task switching? Age-related differences between German monolinguals and Dutch-Frisian bilinguals

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728915000498 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 69-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

NIENKE HOUTZAGER ◽

WANDER LOWIE ◽

SIMONE SPRENGER ◽

KEES DE BOT

Keyword(s):

Task Switching ◽

Executive Control ◽

Switching Costs ◽

Group Differences ◽

Significant Group ◽

Bilingual Advantage ◽

Bilingual Speakers ◽

Age Related ◽

Related Language ◽

Mixing Costs

This study investigated whether lifelong bilingualism can be associated with enhanced executive control, particularly mental flexibility, and with a modulation of an age-related decline in these functions. We compared performance of middle-aged and elderly speakers of German and bilingual speakers of Dutch and Frisian in a cued task-switching paradigm. All bilinguals were fluent in the same, closely-related language pairs. Bilinguals incurred significantly lower switching costs than monolinguals, and elderly bilinguals were less affected by an age-related increase in switching costs than monolinguals. Bilinguals did not differ from monolinguals in the size of the mixing costs. Our findings suggest that lifelong bilingualism correlates with enhanced ability to shift between mental sets, as well as increased resistance to proactive interference. The fact that we found significant group differences – while some previous studies did not – may be attributable to the choice of our task and to the cognateness of the languages involved.

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Supplemental Material for Working Memory, Task Switching, and Executive Control in the Task Span Procedure

Journal of Experimental Psychology General ◽

10.1037/0096-3445.133.2.218.supp ◽

2004 ◽

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Task Switching ◽

Executive Control ◽

Memory Task ◽

Task Span

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Sources of cognitive conflict and their relevance to Theory of Mind proficiency in healthy ageing. A preregistered study.

10.31234/osf.io/mzv5u ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Foyzul Rahman ◽

Sabrina Javed ◽

Ian Apperly ◽

Peter Hansen ◽

Carol Holland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Theory Of Mind ◽

Executive Control ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Age Groups ◽

Response Speed ◽

Cognitive Conflict ◽

Mental States ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Age Related ◽

Outcome Knowledge

Age-related decline in Theory of Mind (ToM) may be due to waning executive control, which is necessary for resolving conflict when reasoning about others’ mental states. We assessed how older (OA; n=50) versus younger adults (YA; n=50) were affected by three theoretically relevant sources of conflict within ToM: competing Self-Other perspectives; competing cued locations and outcome knowledge. We examined which best accounted for age-related difficulty with ToM. Our data show unexpected similarity between age groups when representing a belief incongruent with one’s own. Individual differences in attention and motor response speed best explained the degree of conflict experienced through conflicting Self-Other perspectives. However, OAs were disproportionately affected by managing conflict between cued locations. Age and spatial working memory were most relevant for predicting the magnitude of conflict elicited by conflicting cued locations. We suggest that previous studies may have underestimated OA’s ToM proficiency by including unnecessary conflict in ToM tasks.

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