Abstract:

In task switching, a stimulus containing the features of the current task and the associated features of another task is defined as a bivalent stimulus. Exposure to bivalent stimuli affects the processing of univalent stimuli, slowing the response to all subsequent univalent stimuli. This phenomenon is called the bivalency effect. Researchers have found that the bivalency effect is generally and stably observed among various tasks. The theoretical explanation of the bivalency effect mainly comprises episodic context binding and the history-dependent predictive model. The generation of the bivalency effect is related to the extraction of additional visual features and top-down adjustment of cognitive control. The former is mainly related to activation of the temporal-parietal junction, while the latter is mainly related to activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the pre-supplementary motor regions.

Key words: bivalency effect, conflict, cognitive control, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, cognitive mechanism