Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T14:35:37.968Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cost of Mental Set Reconfiguration between Digits and their Photisms in Synaesthesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Emilio G. Milán ,
María Ángeles Rodríguez Artacho ,
Sergio Moreno-Ríos ,
Mª José de Córdoba ,
Alex Pereda  and
Antonio González-Hernández
Emilio G. Milán
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
María Ángeles Rodríguez Artacho
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Sergio Moreno-Ríos
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Mª José de Córdoba
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Alex Pereda
Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
Antonio González-Hernández*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning with this article should be addressed to Antonio González-Hernández. Departamento de Psicología Social, Antropología Social, Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales. Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga. (Spain). Phone: +34-951952182. Fax: +34-952 13 11 00. E-mail: antonio.gonzalez@uma.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this study we present an experiment investigating the reconfiguration process elicited by the task switching paradigm in synaesthesia. We study the time course of the operations involved in the activation of photisms. In the experimental Group, four digit-color synaesthetes alternated between an odd-even task and a color task (to indicate the photism elicited by each digit). In both tasks, the target stimuli were numbers between 1 and 9 written in white. One of the control groups ran the same tasks but this time with colored numbers (Naïve Control Group). The results of these studies showed the expected pattern for the control group in the case of regular shift: a significant task switch cost with an abrupt offset and a cost reduction in long RSI. However for the experimental group, we found switch cost asymmetry in the short RSI and non-significant cost in the long RSI. A second control group performed exactly the same tasks as the experimental group (with white numbers as targets and a second imaginary color task) -Trained Control Group-. We found no cost for this second control group. This means that the cost of mental set reconfiguration between numbers (inducers) and their photisms (concurrent sensations) occurs, that there is a specific cost asymmetry (from photisms to inducers) and that this cost cannot be explained by associative learning. The results are discussed in terms of exogenous and endogenous components of mental set reconfiguration.

En este estudio presentamos un experimento en el que se investiga el proceso de reconfiguración mental empleando el paradigma de cambio de tarea en sinestesia. Estudiamos el tiempo de preparación necesario en la activación de un fotismo. En el grupo experimental, cuatro sinestetas dígito-color alternaban entre una tarea de números (par-impar) y otra de color (indicar el fotismo evocado por cada dígito). En ambas tareas, el estímulo era un número entre el 1 y el 9 escrito en blanco. Uno de los grupos control realizó la misma tarea pero con los números coloreados (Naïve Control Group). Los resultados muestran el patrón de datos esperado para el grupo control en el caso de cambio de tarea predecible: un coste por cambio de tarea que desaparece en el primer ensayo de repetición usando un intervalo respuestaestímulo (RSI) largo. Sin embargo, en el grupo experimental, encontramos asimetrías en el patrón del costo usando RSI corto y un coste no significativo en el RSI largo. Un segundo grupo control realizó exactamente la misma tarea que el grupo experimental (con números en blanco y una segunda tarea de “color imaginario”) -Trained Control Group-. Encontramos que no existe costo en este segundo grupo de control. Esto significa que el coste por la reconfiguración mental al alternar entre tarea de números (inductores) y su fotismo (sensación concurrente) ocurre, que hay una asimetría del costo específica (del fotismo a los inductores) y que este costo no puede ser explicado mediante el aprendizaje asociativo. Estos resultados se discuten en términos de los componentes exógenos y endógenos de la reconfiguración mental.

Keywords

synaesthesiatask switchingmental-set reconfigurationattentionexecutive functionssinestesiacambio de tareareconfiguración de la preparación mentalatenciónfunciones ejecutivas
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , November 2011 , pp. 548 - 555
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allport, A., Styles, E. A., & Hsieh, S. L. (1994). Shifting intentional set: Exploring the dynamic control of tasks. In Umiltà, C. & Moscovitch, M. (Eds.), Attention and performance XV. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Allport, A. D., & Wyllie, G. (1999). Task-switching: positive and negative priming of task set. In Humphreys, G., Duncan, J., & Treisman, A. (Eds.), Attention, space, and action: Studies in cognitive neuroscience. Oxford: University Press.Google Scholar
Cohen Kadosh, R., Sagiv, N., Linden, D. E. J., Robertson, L. C., Elinger, G., & Henik, A. (2005). When blue is larger than red: Colors influence numerical cognition in synaesthesia. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17(11), 1766–1773. doi:10.1162/089892905774589181CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dixon, M. J., Smilek, D., Cudahy, C. & Merikle, P. M. (2000). Five plus two equals yellow. Nature, 406, 365. doi:10.1038/35019148CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eagleman, D., Kagan, A. D., Nelson, S. S., Sagaram, D., & Sarma, A. (2007). A standardized test battery for the study of synaesthesia. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 159, 139–145. doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.07.012CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbert, S. J., & Shallice, T. (2002). Task switching. A PDP model. Cognitive Psychology, 44, 297–337. doi:10.1006/cogp.2001.0770CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jersild, A. T. (1927) Mental set and shift. Archives of Psychology, 89, 1–82.Google Scholar
Meier, B., & Rothen, N. (2009). Training grapheme-color associations produce a synesthetic Stroop effect but not a conditioned synesthetic response. Neuropsychologica, 47, 1208–1211. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.01.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meiran, N. (1996). Reconfiguration of processing mode prior to task performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 22, 1423–1442. doi:10.1037//0278-7393.22.6.1423Google Scholar
Meiran, N., Chorev, Z., & Sapir, A. (2000). Component processes in task switching. Cognitive Psychology, 41, 211–253. doi:10.1006/cogp.2000.0736CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milan, E. G., Sanabria, D., Tornay, F., & Gonzalez, A. (2005). Exploring task set reconfiguration with random task sequences. Acta Psychologica, 118, 319–331. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2004.10.015CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rich, A. N., & Matlingley, J. B. (2002). Anomalous perception in synesthesia: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3, 43–52. doi:10.1038/nrn702CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rogers, R. D., & Monsell, S. (1995). Cost of a predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 124, 207–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruthruff, E., Remignton, R. W., & Johnston, J. C. (2001). Switching between simple cognitive tasks. The interaction of top-down and bottom-up factors. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 27, 1404–1419. doi:10.1037//0096-1523.27.6.1404Google ScholarPubMed
Schneider, W. (1988). Micro Experimental Laboratory: An integrated system for IBM PC compatibles. Behaviour Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 20, 206–217. doi:10.3758/BF03203833CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smilek, D., & Dixon, M. J. (2002). Towards a synergistic understanding of Synaesthesia. Psyche, 8. Retrieved from http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au.Google Scholar
Sohn, M. H., & Anderson, J. R. (2001). Task preparation and task repetition: two component model of task switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130, 764–778. doi:10.1037//0096-3445.130.4.764CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643–662. doi:10.1037/h0054651CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tornay, F. J., & Milan, E. G. (2001). A more complete task-set reconfiguration in random than in predictable task switch. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A, 54, 785–803. doi:10.1080/02724980042000499CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed