title: Backward crosstalk effects in psychological refractory period paradigms: effects of second-task response types on first-task response latencies.
abstract: Three experiments using psychological refractory period (PRP) tasks documented backward crosstalk effects in which the nature of the second-task response influenced the first-task response latencies. Such effects are difficult to explain within currently popular bottleneck models, according to which second-task response selection does not begin until first-task response selection has finished. In Experiments 1 and 2, the first of the PRP tasks required a choice reaction time (RT) response, whereas the second task required a go/no-go decision. Task 1 responses were faster when the second task required a go response than when it required a no-go response. Experiment 3 showed that Task 1 RTs were also influenced by the complexity of second-task responses. These backward crosstalk effects indicate that significant second-task processing is carried out in time to influence first-task responses and thus challenge strictly serial bottleneck models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. miller@psy.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012033:Refractory Period, Psychological; D012193:Reversal Learning