Dual-task scenarios require a coordinated regulation of the processing order of component tasks in light of capacity limitations during response selection. A number of behavioral and neuroimaging findings suggest a distinct set of control processes involved in preparing this task order. In this study, we investigated electrophysiological correlates of task-order preparation in a variant of the overlapping dual-task paradigm with cue-determined task order that resulted in trials with blockwise fixed task order as well as trials with repeated and switched task order in blocks with variable task order. During the cue–stimulus interval, we found an earlier centroparietal order-mixing positivity and a later parietal order-switch positivity. A decoding approach based on multivariate pattern analysis showed that the order-mixing positivity is a necessary prerequisite for successful order selection, whereas the order-switch positivity appears to facilitate the implementation of a new task order after its selection. These correlates of order preparation share striking similarities to commonly found potentials involved in the preparation of individual tasks in the (single-)task-switching paradigm, which is strong empirical support for the account that the underlying preparatory processes are to be considered as higher-level control signals that are implemented independently of specific task representations.

双任务场景需要根据响应选择过程中的容量限制对组件任务的处理顺序进行协调调节。许多行为和神经影像学发现表明，在准备此任务顺序时涉及一组不同的控制过程。在这项研究中，我们研究了任务顺序准备在重叠双任务范式的变体中的电生理相关性与线索确定的任务顺序，导致以块状固定任务顺序进行试验以及以块为单位重复和切换任务顺序的试验具有可变的任务顺序。在提示刺激间隔期间，我们发现了较早的中央顶叶顺序混合阳性和较晚的顶叶顺序转换阳性。基于多元模式分析的解码方法表明，顺序混合积极性是成功顺序选择的必要先决条件，而顺序转换积极性似乎有助于在选择后促进新任务顺序的实施。这些订单准备的相关性与（单）任务转换范式中的单个任务准备中所涉及的普遍发现的潜力有着惊人的相似之处，这是强有力的实证支持，支持以下观点，即潜在的准备过程被认为是更高的独立于特定任务表示实现的电平控制信号。