image: This is Dr. Starla Weaver. Dr. Weaver is an associate research scientist at Kessler Foundation. She specializes in cognitive research in traumatic brain injury. view more
Credit: Kessler Foundation
West Orange, NJ. August 11, 2014 -- Kessler Foundation scientists have published results of cognitive research that show the negative effects that unexpected task constraint, following self-generated task choice, has on task-switching performance. The article, "You can't always get what you want: The influence of unexpected task constraint on voluntary task switching", was published online on June 11 by The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (DOI:10.1080/17470218.2014.917115). The authors are Starla Weaver, PhD, and Glenn Wylie, DPhil, of Kessler Foundation, John J. Foxe, PhD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Yeshiva University, and Marina Shpaner, PhD, of the University of Vermont. The study was funded by Kessler Foundation.
The 12 healthy adults who participated in the study, performed a voluntary task-switching procedure in which they specified the task they wanted to perform, were presented with a cue that confirmed the choice, and then performed the cued task. For some trials, participants received cues to perform a task that did not match their choice. In those instances, responses were most striking when participants unexpectedly had to repeat the previous task. The performance of the unexpected task was markedly impaired.
"We encounter unexpected task constraint in our daily lives," noted Dr. Weaver. "For example, when we are diverted from our planned route by a detour; or when the film we planned to see is sold out. Our results show that the preparation that an individual undertakes in order to perform a task is difficult to undo," said Dr. Weaver, associate research scientist at Kessler Foundation. "Unexpected task constraint following self-generated task choice has a negative effect on task performance. This suggests that one mechanism used to guide behavior during multitasking is the implementation of swift and durable task-preparation processes (which are difficult to undo). Uncovering the mechanisms that enable multitasking is the first step toward improving the abilities of patients, such as persons with traumatic brain injury, who often display deficits in multitasking ability."
Dr. Weaver's fellowship is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research. She is also an instructor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School.
Scientists at Kessler Foundation conduct cognitive research to improve cognition in individuals with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, stroke and dementia. Funding is provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research, National MS Society, NJ Commission of Brain Injury Research, Consortium of MS Centers, Patterson Trust, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation, Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Biogen Idec and Kessler Foundation.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org; Tweet us @KesslerFdn
Journal
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology