Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
2-2024
Abstract
The congruency sequence effect (CSE) is one of the most investigated effects in the cognitive control literature. The conflict monitoring theory suggests that the CSE is the result of adjustments in cognitive control based on perceived conflict. A recent paper by Zhang and colleagues, has investigated whether the manipulation of conflict level by changing distractor incompatibility in a flanker task affects the amount of adjustments in cognitive control. Their study produced mixed findings, somewhat supporting the original conflict monitoring theory, but also suggesting other explanations, such as the repetition expectancy account. We replicated the experimental design in a multisite online study (N = 347), with Hungarian, Italian, and Singaporean participants. Our results supported the prediction that changes in the level of conflict trigger conflict adaptation, revealing that increasing conflict levels induced stronger adaptive control. Bayesian hypothesis testing indicated a monotonic reduction in congruency effects as a function of previous conflict strength. This finding is in line with the extension of the traditional conflict monitoring theory, as well as other theories like affective signaling and expected value of control, implying that the relationship between conflict and interference effects is gradual, rather than a binary function.
Discipline
Cognitive Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Scientific Reports
Volume
14
First Page
1
Last Page
10
ISSN
2045-2322
Identifier
10.1038/s41598-024-53090-4
Publisher
Nature Research
Citation
BOGNAR, M., SZEKELY, Z., VARGA, M. A., NAGY, K., SPINELLI, G., HARTANTO, Andree, MAJEED, N. M., CHEN, N. R. Y., GYURKOVICS, M., & ACZEL, B..(2024). Cognitive control adjustments are dependent on the level of conflict: A replication of Zhang et al. (2021).. Scientific Reports, 14, 1-10.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3919
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53090-4