Cognitive flexibility involves switching between tasks, while cognitive stability involves maintaining focus on a task and resisting distractions. Traditionally, these constructs are seen as endpoints...

The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise

Humans often face binary cognitive-control dilemmas, with the choice between persistence and flexibility being a crucial one. Tackling these dilemmas …

The metacontrol framework claims that cognitive control operates along a continuum between persistence and flexibility. While spontaneous mind-wandering is often considered a failure of control, emerg...

Exploring the dual-dimension framework in metacontrol, this study suggests independent variability of cognitive flexibility and stability.

Exploring the dual-dimension framework in metacontrol, this study suggests independent variability of cognitive flexibility and stability.

Metacontrol refers to the capacity to effectively balance persistence and flexibility according to situational circumstances. Recent studies suggest a crucial role of cortical noise in metacontrol by…

AbstractMetacontrol states involve adapting cognitive control to contextual demands—being more flexible in frequent task-switching environments or more stable in those with infrequent switching. While these metacontrol states can be engaged proactively in anticipation or reactively in response to specific contexts, how these two metacontrol modes interact remains unclear. To address this question, we recorded EEG measures of brain activity during a task-switching paradigm in which we manipulated proactive metacontrol via block-level incentives (baseline vs. penalty). Within blocks, some images occurred more frequently on switch trials and others on repeat trials, which we expected to elicit reactive metacontrol adjustments. This design enabled us to investigate how block-level proactive metacontrol influences reactive metacontrol in response to image-specific switch demands. We found that during the penalty block, designed to enhance proactive processing, greater slow negative-polarity ERP waves (contingent negative variation waves) were elicited before the onset of the image and task cue, which have been associated with preparatory attention and improved task-switching efficiency. Moreover, the penalty block showed image-specific metacontrol adjustments or “reactive metacontrol,” as reflected by modulations in the N2 and the late positive component EEG waves during image and task-cue presentation. Together, these findings support theoretical frameworks suggesting that heightened preparatory attentional control—such as that induced by penalty-based incentives—can serve to enhance stimulus feature-binding mechanisms critical for reactive metacontrol learning and instantiation.

Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying metacontrol and conflict regulation is crucial for in

Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying metacontrol and conflict regulation is crucial for in

In France, a near and probable future. The Sisterhood of Metacontrol governs Europe. Angeline, an exemplary and irreproachable citizen has just joined the order... But her relationship with a special man, Nono, will make her question profoundly the principles of the Doctrine.