Are precues effective in proactively controlling taboo interference during speech production?. Issue 8 (17th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: White, Katherine K.; Abrams, Lise; Hsi, Lisa R.; Watkins, Emily C.
• Is Part Of: Cognition and emotion. Volume 32:Issue 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1625
• Page End: 1636
• Publication Date: 2018-11-17
• Subjects: Speech production -- taboo interference -- proactive control; Cognition -- Periodicals; Emotions and cognition -- Periodicals; 155.413
• DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2018.1433637
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9931

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This research investigated whether precues engage proactive control to reduce emotional interference during speech production. A picture-word interference task required participants to name target pictures accompanied by taboo, negative, or neutral distractors. Proactive control was manipulated by presenting precues that signalled the type of distractor that would appear on the next trial. Experiment 1 included one block of trials with precues and one without, whereas Experiment 2 mixed precued and uncued trials. Consistent with previous research, picture naming was slowed in both experiments when distractors were taboo or negative compared to neutral, with the greatest slowing effect when distractors were taboo. Evidence that precues engaged proactive control to reduce interference from taboo (but not negative) distractors was found in Experiment 1. In contrast, mixing precued trials in Experiment 2 resulted in no taboo cueing benefit. These results suggest that item-level proactive control can be engaged under certain conditions to reduce taboo interference during speech production, findings that help to refine a role for cognitive control of distraction during speech production.