Control over location-based response activation in the Simon task: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence.
In 4 Simon experiments the authors examined control over 2 routes of sensorimotor processing: response priming in the unconditional route and response selection via the conditional route. The Simon effect diminished as the frequency of noncorresponding trials increased. Location-based response priming was observed only when the stimulus followed a corresponding event but not after a noncorresponding trial. Therefore, the unconditional route appears to be suppressed whenever the task context indicates priming as potentially disadvantageous. Moreover, the task-irrelevant stimulus location was used for response selection as a function of correspondence probability. Although exact repetitions of stimulus-response sequences caused a marked speed-up of responses, this 3rd mechanism is independent of unconditional route suppression and frequency-based adjustments in the conditional route.
Stürmer
Birgit
B
Biological Psychology/Psychophysiology, Institute for Psychology, Humboldt-University at Berlin, Berlin, Germany. birgit.stuermer@rz.hu-berlin.de
Leuthold
Hartmut
H
Soetens
Eric
E
Schröter
Hannes
H
Sommer
Werner
W
D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology