Mayr, UlrichMoss, Melissa2023-07-062023-07-062023-07-06https://hdl.handle.net/1794/28484Individuals routinely execute complex tasks that involve multiple, dependent levels of information, such as driving a car or cooking dinner. It is amazing that our cognitive system is able to represent such complex, hierarchical tasks without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information needed to successfully complete the task. Hierarchical tasks require the integration of multiple levels of information. How the cognitive system organizes and uses this hierarchical information is a key question in cognitive psychology. Through disparate literatures in psychology, including serial-order control, task switching, and learning, this phenomenon has been studied from multiple angles. Many findings from these different areas point to the existence of hierarchical cognitive structures for representing complex tasks, though many questions remain. In this dissertation, I first address the question of how relationships between hierarchical components are defined and used by the cognitive system. Then I assess how the cognitive system allocates resources when executing hierarchical tasks. Finally, the question of related cognitive processes and of the application of hierarchical control to different types of complex tasks is addressed, using an individual differences approach.en-USAll Rights Reserved.cognitive representationshierarchical controlserial-order controlElectronic Thesis or Dissertation