{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T08:01:08Z","timestamp":1769155268955,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MIT Press - Journals","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":["direct.mit.edu"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>There is growing evidence that processes formerly believed to be automatic are, in fact, strongly modulated by top\u2013down influences. The purpose of the present work was to investigate how cognitive control can affect the purported automaticity of word processing by examining the impact of task switching on semantic processing using the ERP technique. In the context of the psychological refractory period dual-task paradigm, two experiments contrasted the context-sensitive N400 ERP elicited by the second of two target words under conditions that involved either a task switch or no-task switch. Although the N400 was not affected by SOA in the absence of switching, it was strongly attenuated at short SOAs when the psychological refractory period procedure involved a switch from a perceptual to a semantic task (Experiment 1) or a switch between two different semantic tasks (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that semantic processing cannot be performed in parallel with task switching and illustrate limitations in the ability of the cognitive system to adapt flexibly to the dynamically changing challenges of the environment according to task demands and behavioral goals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn_a_00149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,7]],"date-time":"2011-10-07T19:55:12Z","timestamp":1318017312000},"page":"611-626","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/mitpressjournals.corrections.policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["On the Automaticity of Semantic Processing during Task Switching"],"prefix":"10.1162","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Fran\u00e7ois","family":"Vachon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"1Universit\u00e9 Laval"},{"name":"2University of Montreal"}]},{"given":"Pierre","family":"Jolic\u0153ur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2University of Montreal"}]}],"member":"281","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021072913222949300_R1","first-page":"421","article-title":"Shifting intentional set: Exploring the dynamic control of tasks.","volume-title":"Attention and performance XV: Conscious and nonconscious information processing","author":"Allport","year":"1994"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"781","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03196116","article-title":"Tasks of a feather flock together: Similarity effects in task switching.","volume":"31","author":"Arrington","year":"2003","journal-title":"Memory & Cognition"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2514","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.2009.21361","article-title":"The role of awareness in semantic and syntactic processing: An ERP attentional blink study.","volume":"22","author":"Batterink","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"484","DOI":"10.1214\/aoms\/1177728717","article-title":"Some theorems on quadratic forms applied in the study of analysis of variance problems: II. Effects of inequality of variance and of correlation between errors in the two-way classification.","volume":"25","author":"Box","year":"1954","journal-title":"The Annals of Mathematical Statistics"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.1993.5.1.34","article-title":"The processing nature of the N400: Evidence from masked priming.","volume":"5","author":"Brown","year":"1993","journal-title":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/S0926-6410(99)00050-6","article-title":"Event-related potential indices of semantic priming using masked and unmasked words: Evidence that the N400 does not reflect a post-lexical process.","volume":"9","author":"Deacon","year":"2000","journal-title":"Cognitive Brain Research"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R7","first-page":"965","article-title":"Multiple bottlenecks in overlapping-task performance.","volume":"19","author":"DeJong","year":"1993","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1683","DOI":"10.3758\/APP.71.8.1683","article-title":"How humans search for targets through time: A review of data and theory from the attentional blink.","volume":"71","author":"Dux","year":"2009","journal-title":"Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2005","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.2007.19.12.2005","article-title":"Electrophysiological evidence for both perceptual and post-perceptual selection during the attentional blink.","volume":"19","author":"Giesbrecht","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1006\/cogp.2001.0770","article-title":"Task switching: A PDP model.","volume":"44","author":"Gilbert","year":"2002","journal-title":"Cognitive Psychology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R11","first-page":"1012","article-title":"Effects of additional tasks on language perception: An event-related brain potential investigation.","volume":"30","author":"Hohlfeld","year":"2004","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1006\/cogp.1998.0684","article-title":"The demonstration of short-term consolidation.","volume":"36","author":"Jolic\u0153ur","year":"1998","journal-title":"Cognitive Psychology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03194565","article-title":"Task switching mediates the attentional blink even without backward masking.","volume":"65","author":"Kawahara","year":"2003","journal-title":"Perception & Psychophysics"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/S0926-6410(01)00085-4","article-title":"The N400 is modulated by unconsciously perceived masked words: Further evidence for an automatic spreading activation account of N400 priming effects.","volume":"13","author":"Kiefer","year":"2002","journal-title":"Cognitive Brain Research"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.2478\/v10053-008-0031-2","article-title":"Top\u2013down modulation of unconscious \u201cautomatic\u201d processes: A gating framework.","volume":"3","author":"Kiefer","year":"2007","journal-title":"Advances in Cognitive Psychology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.2006.18.2.184","article-title":"Attentional modulation of unconscious \u201cautomatic\u201d processes: Evidence from event-related potentials in a masked priming paradigm.","volume":"18","author":"Kiefer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.1037\/a0019561","article-title":"Attentional sensitization of unconscious cognition: Task sets modulate subsequent masked semantic priming.","volume":"139","author":"Kiefer","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: General"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8986.2007.00618.x","article-title":"Measurement of ERP latency differences: A comparison of single-participant and jackknife-based scoring methods.","volume":"45","author":"Kiesel","year":"2008","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.1126\/science.7350657","article-title":"Reading senseless sentences: Brain potentials reflect semantic incongruity.","volume":"207","author":"Kutas","year":"1980","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1038\/307161a0","article-title":"Brain potentials during reading reflect word expectancy and semantic association.","volume":"307","author":"Kutas","year":"1984","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"920","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2532","article-title":"A cortical network for semantics: (De)constructing the N400.","volume":"9","author":"Lau","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nature Reviews Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"212","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03196277","article-title":"Stimulus-response compatibility and psychological refractory period effects: Implications for response selection.","volume":"9","author":"Lien","year":"2002","journal-title":"Psychonomic Bulletin & Review"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R22","first-page":"751","article-title":"On the nonautomaticity of visual word processing: Electrophysiological evidence that word processing requires central attention.","volume":"34","author":"Lien","year":"2008","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.108.2.393","article-title":"Executive control of visual attention in dual-task situations.","volume":"108","author":"Logan","year":"2001","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R24","first-page":"1072","article-title":"Parallel memory retrieval in dual-task situations: I. Semantic memory.","volume":"26","author":"Logan","year":"2000","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"188","DOI":"10.1162\/jocn.1993.5.2.188","article-title":"Attention-related modulation of sensory-evoked brain activity in a visual search task.","volume":"5","author":"Luck","year":"1993","journal-title":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"616","DOI":"10.1038\/383616a0","article-title":"Word meanings can be accessed but not reported during the attentional blink.","volume":"382","author":"Luck","year":"1996","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R27","first-page":"1057","article-title":"Modulations of sensory-evoked brain potentials indicate changes in perceptual processing during visual\u2013spatial priming.","volume":"17","author":"Mangun","year":"1991","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"282","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797610397056","article-title":"Controlling the unconscious: Attentional task sets modulate subliminal semantic and visuo-motor processes differentially.","volume":"22","author":"Martens","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychological Science"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.2478\/v10053-008-0067-3","article-title":"Specifying attentional top\u2013down influences on subsequent unconscious semantic processing.","volume":"5","author":"Martens","year":"2009","journal-title":"Advances in Cognitive Psychology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1016\/0168-5597(93)90005-A","article-title":"Modulation of semantic processing by spatial selective attention.","volume":"88","author":"McCarthy","year":"1993","journal-title":"Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R31","first-page":"1423","article-title":"Reconfiguration of processing mode prior to task performance.","volume":"22","author":"Meiran","year":"1996","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1016\/S1364-6613(03)00028-7","article-title":"Task switching.","volume":"7","author":"Monsell","year":"2003","journal-title":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"416","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9280.00474","article-title":"Unconscious masked priming depends on temporal attention.","volume":"13","author":"Naccache","year":"2002","journal-title":"Psychological Science"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R34","first-page":"264","article-title":"Semantic priming effects in visual word recognition: A selective review of current findings and theories.","volume-title":"Basic progresses in reading: Visual word recognition","author":"Neely","year":"1991"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R35","first-page":"1036","article-title":"Absence of perceptual processing during reconfiguration of task set.","volume":"29","author":"Oriet","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.116.2.220","article-title":"Dual-task interference in simple tasks: Data and theory.","volume":"116","author":"Pashler","year":"1994","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R37","volume-title":"The psychology of attention.","author":"Pashler","year":"1998"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1080\/14640748908402351","article-title":"Chronometric evidence for central postponement in temporally overlapping tasks.","volume":"41A","author":"Pashler","year":"1989","journal-title":"Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R39","first-page":"55","article-title":"Attention and cognitive control.","volume-title":"Information processing and cognition: The Loyola Symposium","author":"Posner","year":"1975"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R40","first-page":"849","article-title":"Temporary suppression of visual processing in an RSVP task: An attentional blink?","volume":"18","author":"Raymond","year":"1992","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-3445.124.2.207","article-title":"Costs of a predictible switch between simple cognitive tasks.","volume":"124","author":"Rogers","year":"1995","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: General"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1111\/1469-8986.3820165","article-title":"Missed prime words within the attentional blink evoke an N400 semantic priming effect.","volume":"38","author":"Rolke","year":"2001","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R43","first-page":"763","article-title":"Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching.","volume":"27","author":"Rubinstein","year":"2001","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780198505150.003.0006","article-title":"Perceptual and central interference in dual-task performance.","volume-title":"The limits of attention: Temporal constraints in human information processing","author":"Ruthruff","year":"2001"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R45","first-page":"1404","article-title":"Switching between simple cognitive tasks: The interaction of top\u2013down and bottom\u2013up factors.","volume":"27","author":"Ruthruff","year":"2001","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.84.1.1","article-title":"Controlled and automatic human information processing: 1. Detection, search, and attention.","volume":"84","author":"Schneider","year":"1977","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"764","DOI":"10.1037\/0096-3445.130.4.764","article-title":"Task preparation and task repetition: Two component model of task switching.","volume":"130","author":"Sohn","year":"2001","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: General"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"816","DOI":"10.1111\/1469-8986.3850816","article-title":"Using the jackknife-based scoring method for measuring LRP onset effects in factorial designs.","volume":"38","author":"Ulrich","year":"2001","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8986.2010.01040.x","article-title":"Impaired semantic processing during task-set switching: Evidence from the N400 in rapid serial visual presentation.","volume":"48","author":"Vachon","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychophysiology"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R50","first-page":"330","article-title":"Task-set reconfiguration suspends perceptual processing: Evidence from semantic priming during the attentional blink.","volume":"33","author":"Vachon","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"458","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.125.4.458","article-title":"Attentional switching in spatial and non-spatial domains: Evidence from the attentional blink.","volume":"125","author":"Visser","year":"1999","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"2021072913222949300_R52","first-page":"1656","article-title":"Electrophysiological evidence for a postperceptual locus of suppression during the attentional blink.","volume":"24","author":"Vogel","year":"1998","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance"}],"container-title":["Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article-pdf\/24\/3\/611\/1944081\/jocn_a_00149.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article-pdf\/24\/3\/611\/1944081\/jocn_a_00149.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,29]],"date-time":"2021-07-29T13:44:02Z","timestamp":1627566242000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/jocn\/article\/24\/3\/611\/85553\/On-the-Automaticity-of-Semantic-Processing-during"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]},"references-count":53,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/jocn_a_00149","relation":{},"ISSN":["0898-929X","1530-8898"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0898-929X","type":"print"},{"value":"1530-8898","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2012,3]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2012,3,1]]}}}