Prominent models of control assume that conflict and the probability of conflict are signals used by control processes that regulate attention. For example, when conflict is frequent across preceding trials (i.e., high probability of conflict), control processes bias attention toward goal-relevant information on subsequent trials. An important but underspecified question regards the meta-control property of timescale—that is, how far back does the control system “look” to determine the probability of conflict? To address this question, Aben, Verguts, and Van den Bussche (2017) developed a statistical model quantifying the timescale of control. In a flanker task, they observed short timescales for lists with a low probability of conflict (which induce reactive control) and long timescales for lists with a high probability of conflict (which induce proactive control). To investigate the domain generality of these timescales, we applied their model to two additional conflict tasks that manipulated the list-wide probability of conflict. Our findings replicated Aben et al. suggesting meta-control may be task general with respect to timescales operating on the list level. We subsequently modified their model to examine timescale differences for items in the same list that differed in their probability of conflict but not the type of control engaged. We failed to detect a difference in timescales between items. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that differences in the timescale of control are task general and suggest that timescale differences are driven by the type of control engaged and not by the probability of conflict per se.

著名的控制模型假设冲突和冲突的可能性是调节注意力的控制过程所使用的信号。例如，当冲突在先前的试验中频繁发生时（即，冲突的可能性很大），控制过程会将注意力偏向于后续试验中与目标相关的信息。一个重要但未明确的问题是关于时间尺度的元控制属性——即控制系统“看”多远来确定冲突的可能性？为了解决这个问题，Aben、Verguts 和 Van den Bussche（2017）开发了一个量化控制时间尺度的统计模型。在侧卫任务中，他们观察到冲突概率低的列表（导致被动控制）的时间尺度较短，而冲突概率高的列表（导致主动控制）的时间尺度较长。为了研究这些时间尺度的领域通用性，我们将他们的模型应用于两个额外的冲突任务，这些任务操纵了列表范围的冲突概率。我们的研究结果复制了 Aben 等人。建议元控制可能是关于在列表级别上运行的时间尺度的任务一般。我们随后修改了他们的模型以检查时间尺度差异 建议元控制可能是关于在列表级别上运行的时间尺度的任务一般。我们随后修改了他们的模型以检查时间尺度差异 建议元控制可能是关于在列表级别上运行的时间尺度的任务一般。我们随后修改了他们的模型以检查时间尺度差异同一列表中的项目发生冲突的可能性不同，但所采用的控制类型不同。我们未能检测到项目之间的时间尺度差异。总的来说，研究结果表明控制时间尺度的差异是任务普遍性的，并表明时间尺度差异是由所采用的控制类型而不是冲突本身的可能性驱动的。