The Effect of Evoked Conflict on Executive Control in a Realistic Task

Existing so-called conflict-based models of executive control aim to explain how an agent, without constantly controlling its own processing (what is both cognitively costly and inefficient), can know when to apply strong control, but when to withdraw it. These models predict that the strength of control is adjusted proportionally to the level of conflict among competing stimuli/response tendencies. However, so far the conflict-based models were verified with the use of relatively simple experimental paradigms, like the Stroop task. In the present study, we extended the effect of evoked conflict on the strength of executive control, exerted by participants, to a more realistic task (the search of information in a portal-like browser). The results indicate that also semantic conflicts (incompatible meaning of subsequent messages) can mobilize executive control, and help people to cope with experienced distraction and difficulty.