Performances of WS and TD participants in the Verbal Task-Switching.

<p>Reaction times (RTs) in repetition (AAA), alternating (ABA) and non-alternating (CBA) sequences of trials for WS and TD participants. Data are expressed as unweighted mean ± SEM.</p

Performances of WS and TD participants in the Visuo-Spatial Task-Switching.

<p><b>A: Backward inhibition</b>. Number of explored locations on finding the target in alternating (ABA) and non-alternating (CBA) sequences of trials for WS and TD participants. <b>B: Adjacency</b>. The percentage of response pairs for which the arms were adjacent for WS and TD participants. <b>C: Number of errors</b>. Number of re-exploration of the same arm in the same trial for WS and TD participants. <b>D: Perseverations</b>. Number of exploration of the same arm (e.g., 2–2) or the same string of arms (1-2-1-2) twice consecutively in the same trial for WS and TD participants. Data are expressed as unweighted mean ± SEM. The asterisks indicate the significance level of the post-hoc comparisons between groups (*** <i>p</i>< .0001).</p

Visuo-Spatial Task-Switching in an ecological environment.

<p>Schematic representation of the visuo-spatial task-switching paradigm in an ecological environment (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0142613#sec014" target="_blank">Experiment 3</a>).</p

Verbal Task-Switching.

<p>Schematic representation of task cues and stimuli in the verbal task-switching paradigm (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0142613#sec006" target="_blank">Experiment 1</a>). (Gallina: chicken; elefante: elephant; orso: bear).</p

Visuo-Spatial Task-Switching.

<p>Schematic representation of the visuo-spatial task-switching paradigm (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0142613#sec010" target="_blank">Experiment 2</a>). On the left, an example of triplets of trials (CBA and ABA). The numbers indicate the arms of the 6-arm star.</p

Performances of WS and TD participants in the Visuo-Spatial Task-Switching in an ecological environment.

<p>Number of sequences of locations (ABA and CBA) that the participants spontaneously explored. Data are expressed as unweighted mean ± SEM. The asterisks indicate the significance level of the post-hoc comparisons between groups (** <i>p</i>< .005).</p

Schematic diagrams of the two experimental conditions.

<p>Condition 1: Learning by Trial and Error followed by Observational Learning: participants detected a sequence by trial and error (TE1), then they observed an actor detecting a sequence different from the one they had previously detected (observational training) and, finally, they reproduced the observed sequence (OBS2). Condition 2: Observational Learning followed by Learning by Trial and Error: participants were submitted to an observational training, then they reproduced the observed sequence (OBS1) and, finally, detected by trial and error a different sequence they had never observed (TE2). The incorrect positions touched by the actor during the observational training are evidenced in grey. S: starting point; F: final point.</p

Description of WS groups (WS1 and WS2) and TD groups (TD1 and TD2) performing the two different experimental conditions.

<p>CA: Chronological Age.</p><p>MA: Mental Age.</p><p>IQ: Intelligence Quotient.</p

Statistical comparison of visuo-spatial performances of WS and TD participants.

<p>Statistical comparison of visuo-spatial performances of WS and TD participants.</p

Performances exhibited by WS and TD participants in the Attentional Task.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± SEM.</p