Fine-Grain Episodic Memory Processes in Cognitive Control

Abstract

Previous task-switching research raises a question concerning the role of episodic memory processes in cognitive control. The question is framed by the contrast between two procedures, explicit cuing and randomized runs, one of which presents a task cue perceptually on every trial and the other of which involves uncued trials. The present study compares performance across these procedures. Performance errors sensitive to errors in focusing on the correct task were higher under explicit-cuing conditions than under randomized-runs conditions, consistent with a high level of proactive interference from old task information. The results support an account in which control codes stored in episodic memory play an integral role in cognitive control, even under conditions in which all information needed for performance is perceptually available.