P300, probability, and the three-tone paradigm.
The effects of stimulus probability on P300 from a 3-tone paradigm were examined in two experiments. Experiment 1 manipulated the probability of the non-target tone as 0.10, 0.45, or 0.80, while the target tone probability was always 0.10. Experiment 2 manipulated the probability of 3 tones as 0.10, 0.30, or 0.60, with one of the infrequent tones assigned as the target in each condition. Subjects were required to press a button in response to the target stimulus in both experiments. The results indicated that the P300 to the target and the non-target were both affected by the probability of the eliciting stimulus, such that component amplitude was inversely related to probability; no reliable P300 latency effects were found. Target tones elicited larger P300 amplitude than the non-target tones at the same probability. The findings suggest that probability effects on P300 amplitude are independent of responding to a specific target stimulus and are discussed with reference to the clinical utility of the 3-tone paradigm.
Katayama
J
J
Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. jk@edu.hokudai.ac.jp
Polich
J
J
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability