Interference from multi-dimensional objects during feature and conjunction discriminations.
Feature discrimination performance within an attended object and interference from irrelevant, multi-dimensional objects (distractors) were examined in a two-choice, response compatibility paradigm. Results showed that the amount of interference by multi-dimensional distractors was dependent on three factors: (1) the discriminability of the incompatible, task-relevant distractor features; (2) the number of incompatible, task-relevant distractor features; and (3) whether the task-relevant, incompatible features matched the task goals. The most interesting finding was that additive priming effects were found for multiple, task-relevant features that matched the task goals, whether these features were present in the attended object or in the ignored object. Models that assume that each task-relevant feature primes its corresponding decision/response asynchronously and that this priming is combined to meet a decision/response criterion (at least when attended) can account for distractor interference during conjunction discriminations. Implications of these findings for feature integration models, template models, and a response selection model are discussed.
Fournier
L R
LR
Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-4820, USA. fournier@wsunix.wsu.edu
Bowd
C
C
Herbert
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003116:Color; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011930:Reaction Time; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological