Modeling Control Strategies in the N-Back Task

Two studies aiming to investigate the use of cognitive control strategies in the N-Back task are presented. The first study identified a behavioral effect that seemed indicative of participants’ proneness toward using high- versus low-control strategies. Two ACT-R models of N-Back implementing the two hypothesized strategies were developed. Model simulations were used to identify the proneness toward using high- versus low-control strategies by the individual participants in the second study. An independent measure of control – Stroop interference – was used to validate the predictions of the two models.