Task-Switching Affecting Reaction Time and Error Rate - Essay Example

Task-Switching Affecting Reaction Time and Error Rate Making a shift within persons allows for a control process and trigger mental resources. Initial researches have indicated that shifting of subjects between tasks enhances performance because of the acts of repetition as compared to launching a new task. The time used in the reaction process, and the amount of errors associated with switching of tasks gave considerable and accurate responses after quite a number of trials. Contrastingly, the reaction time was found to a bit higher in the shifting of tasks besides bigger error response but this was however, not all that tangible. Quite number of persons indicated a significantly alteration of the results while being used as sample in this research. Introduction Individuals have been doing shifting of tasks for quite sometimes now. Any slightest performances of task have been always associated with an interruption. Moreover, the concentration of a person into an original task becomes more reduced after a slightest shift into a different task at the same time. This has proven even more difficult for some people. Stephan Monsell however, described that the switching experiment gives more accurate information on task switching. According to his explanation, mental capability must be conceptualized into a process of task switching by an individual. Monsell however, dwelt too much on the costs of switching and its related factors. He created a method termed as alternating run paradigm and the cost of task switch were determined within the blocks of the paradigm. However, questions have been raised that will there be a cost in reaction time when the task switched or repeated This experiment involved classifying the numbers such as even, odd, low and high by simply pressing either right or left keys. With respect to this, the result would be indicated by either color or background shape in others. In the begging when the trials were initiated, colors were first modified then some allowable times were given for the next participants so as to determine the response. The result was however found to achievable after some tasks had been tried in four rounds of intervals. The switching cost was therefore discovered to be too low during the start while some trials showed gradual variation in changes with approximated time cost reduced by almost half (Monsell, 2003). The result indicated a wider switching cost in young healthy participants. Besides, the resultant switching cost was much bigger for the stimuli, which were initially tested than the ones, which had never been put to test (Monsell, 2003). According to Arbuthnott & Frank, (2000), additional results were received from this experiment with adequate demonstration showing shifting between several paradigm being made in different trials involving 34 participants of approximately in their late 40s. With observation of the major switching cost and the residual switch cost, it was noted that, one residual switch cost will always be depended from the initial one. It was clear that, only alternating cost could give significant variation from the reaction time and error. Basing the argument from the above two experiments, it is good to note that the reaction time will always escalate in the switch cost as in contrast to repeated conditions while the error rate would also be higher in switch condition than in the repeat condition (Arbuthnott & Frank, 2000). Methods used Requirements & Procedure Microsoft windows 7, spreadsheet and a word processor, live Cov and SPSS were applied in the experiment evaluation. Therefore, each participant was expected to attempt at least two tasks. Each trial was indicated by an odd and even number with a section for viewing magnitude variation. Odd/even cue This was meant to display both an odd and even numbers on the screens as the participants were requested to make a choice. The instruction was to chose on one of the two numbers by pressing either z or x buttons on the keyboard whereas, z indicated an even number and x representing odd number. Magnitude cue This kid of display was meant to decide whether the number, which had been initially chosen, is greater than five. The decision of the magnitude was done by pressing N or M on the keyboard. Whereas N indicated that the subject of the decision is below 5 while M showed above 5. Each and every participant was assigned a computer in separate rooms where they were prompted by instructions on the screen and allowed to attempt trials after some considerate instructions before the actual task was carried. They were then expected to make precise responses after some rapid tests. Each person was expected to attempt at least 100 trials be a cognitive result was retrieved. Moreover, a repetitive condition was used alternating between even/odd and odd/even displayed in the cues conservatively. Besides, another repetitive task switch condition was applied in determining the magnitude with an indication of IV reaction error rate. Result of the reaction After some repetitive conditions, the result was evidenced that there was a significant difference which was later project by this illustration as a reaction time: (16)= -5.904, p < .00. It was actually visible that the error rate was significant with the hypothesis. The result was: t (16) = -2.049, p Read More