The action effect was not affected by cognitive load

Guang Zhao^1*Yuhao Duan²Jichao Zhang¹Rongtao Wu¹Hanxu Wang¹

• ¹Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
• ²Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Previous researches have shown that searching for a target sharing features with previously acted-on stimuli is accelerated, a phenomenon named as "action effect". In this study, we investigated whether the action effect is modulated by cognitive load. Participants were instructed to press a key if the prime stimulus (a colored color word) matched a specified color. Otherwise, they were to passively view the prime. The color of prime was either congruent (no cognitive load) or incongruent (cognitive load) with its semantic meaning. The magnitude of the action effect between the two conditions was compared. Using EEG technology, we further explored the underlying neural mechanisms of the action effect. Behaviorally, response times were shorter in the action condition compared to the no-action condition, confirming the presence of the action effect. Notably, the magnitude of action effect was equivalent between the congruence and incongruence conditions. Electrophysiological data revealed that attentional priority for acted-on stimuli was enhanced, while the response selection process was delayed. Also, key neural markers—including N2pc, P300b, and late LPC— exhibited minimal differences between the congruent and incongruent conditions. Collectively, these findings provide robust evidence that the action effect remains unaffected by cognitive load, as demonstrated at both behavioral and neural levels.