Mixing of two types of S-R associations in a choice reaction time task.

Morin, Robert E.; Forrin, Bert

doi:10.1037/h0048688

Cited by 38 publications

(32 citation statements)

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“…There is, in fact, evidence that stimulus uncertainty has a differential effect on compatible and incompatible tasks. For example, Morin and Forrin (1962) showed that increasing the number of different trials in a block from two to four had no effect on a compatible task (naming numerals) but did produce slower RT on an incompatible task (making numerical responses to geometric symbols). Leonard (1959) also found that the increase in RT usually associated with an increase in the number of stimulus-response alternatives did not hold for a highly compatible task.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, the result that we might label facilitation (corresponding RT faster than binaural RT) might not be facilitation at all but, rather, a slowing of binaural RT. There is evidence that relatively compatible responses are sensitive to contextual association with incompatible responses (Morin & Forrin, 1962). This would suggest that the ideal experimental design should isolate baseline trials from possible carry-over effects from irrelevant information and, at the same time, control other factors (e.g., stimulus uncertainty) that might affect RT.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of irrelevant information on the processing of relevant information: Facilitation and/or interference? The influence of experimental design

Simon

Acosta

1982

Perception & Psychophysics

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Previous studies have provided conflicting evidence concerning the question of whether irrelevant information can facilitate the prOCessing of relevant information in a choice reaction time task Results of the present study demonstrated that indications of facilitation and/or interference were dependent on the context in which baseline trials 'were administered. Three groups of 24 subjects pressed a left-or right-hand key in response to the Qnset of an X or 0 that was accompanied by a monaural or binaural tone. The monau,ral tone· provided an irrelevant directional cue since, on some trials, it was ipsilateral to the correct response (corresponding trials), while, on other trials, it was contralateral (noncorresponding trials). When binaural (baseline) trials were presented in the same block as the monaural trials, data suggested that the directional cue produced both facilitation and interference. However, when baseline trials were presented in one block, and corresponding and noncorresponding trials were mixed together in another block, data suggested an interference effect only. The difference was attributed to differences in the degree of stimulus uncertainty within a block of trials.It is well established that certain visual and auditory displays provide irrelevant cues that interfere with information processing (Clark & Brownell, 1975; Dyer, 1973;Jensen & Rohwer, 1966;Simon, 1970). But can the presence of irrelevant cues also facilitate the processing of relevant information? There is considerable evidence that simple and discrimination reaction time (RT) can be shortened by presenting an accessory stimulus at the same time as a primary stimulus but to a different sensory modality (Nickerson, 1973). Whether an irrelevant cue can also facilitate information processing in a choice RT task is less clear. The answer may well depend on the definition of facilitation. The present paper focuses on the problem of choosing an appropriate point of comparison or baseline for determining whether facilitation and/or interference occurs in a choice RT task. The determination of an appropriate baseline is, of course, a common problem in research on information processing (e.g., Herman & Kantowitz, 1970).Our interest in the facilitation and/or interference question arose from a series of studies concerned with the effect of an irrelevant directional cue on This research was supported by funds from the Graduate College of the University of Iowa. Requests for reprints should be sent to J. Richard Simon, Department ofPsychology, University ofIowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242. Enrique Acosta, Jr., is now at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.processing a relevant symbolic cue in an auditory display. In our first study, subjects were asked to press a left-or right-hand key in response to monaurally presented commands of "left" or "right." Responses were significantly faster when the content of the command corresponded with the ear stimulated (Le., "left" in left ear or "right" in right ear) than when it did not (Le., "left...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of irrelevant information on the processing of relevant information: Facilitation and/or interference? The influence of experimental design

Simon

Acosta

1982

Perception & Psychophysics

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“…Two of them - Duncan (1977) and Fitts and Seeger (1953) -have already been described. The third experiment (Morin & Forrin, 1962) employed a set of symbolic tasks, in contrast to the spatial tasks of the previous two. There were five conditions (Table 3-3).…”

Section: The Analysis Of Some Task Algorithmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Table 3-3, condition III has been split according to whether a number (IlIa) or a symbol (IIIb) appeared on the trial. A-8 Table 3·3: Compatibility conditions and RT (msec) from Morin and Forrin (1962).…”

Section: The Analysis Of Some Task Algorithmsmentioning

confidence: 99%