Abstract

Prediction and cognitive control are hindered by uncertainty in achieving goal-directed behaviours. Specifically, the prediction of engagement decreases when facing increasing contextual uncertainty, and the involvement of cognitive control increases as immediate uncertainty grows. However, it is unclear how the relationship between predictions and cognitive control operates when individuals are simultaneously confronted with both contextual and immediate uncertainties. In the present study, we investigated and found an interaction effect of immediate and contextual uncertainty in the associated majority function task (aMFT). Principal component analysis revealed that contextual uncertainty in aMFT shared a common component with immediate uncertainty in aMFTs, n-backs, and flanker tasks. These results suggested that prediction under contextual uncertainty and cognitive control may share a common process related to an adaptive homogenization of two types of uncertainty in early information processing flow. This study provides further evidence for uncertainty processing mechanisms.

中文翻译：

---

情境和直接不确定性的相互作用：预测和认知控制中常见处理机制的证据

摘要

预测和认知控制因实现目标导向行为的不确定性而受到阻碍。具体来说，当面临不断增加的情境不确定性时，对参与的预测会减少，而随着即时不确定性的增加，认知控制的参与也会增加。然而，当个体同时面临情境和直接不确定性时，预测和认知控制之间的关系如何运作尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们调查并发现了相关多数函数任务（aMFT）中即时不确定性和情境不确定性的相互作用。主成分分析表明，aMFT 中的情境不确定性与 aMFT、n-backs 和侧翼任务中的直接不确定性具有共同的成分。这些结果表明，上下文不确定性和认知控制下的预测可能共享与早期信息处理流中两种不确定性的自适应同质化相关的共同过程。这项研究为不确定性处理机制提供了进一步的证据。