Task-dependent exogenous cuing effects depend on cue modality.
Task-dependent exogenous cuing effects on reaction time in detection and discrimination tasks have been ascribed to delayed withdrawal of attention in discrimination tasks. Alternatively, these differences may be due to cue-induced response inhibition in detection tasks. Unimodal and crossmodal versions of the Posner paradigm were examined with short cue-target intervals. Targets above or below fixation required either detection or discrimination responses. Cuing effects were determined for the target-elicited P1 component and for the lateralized readiness potential (LRP). Task-dependent cuing effects on reaction time were found in the unimodal but not in the crossmodal version, but not for the P1 component. The LRP data indicated that inhibition of return in the unimodal detection task had a premotoric locus. These findings suggest that inhibition in the unimodal detection task resulted from speeded motor inhibition triggered by the visual cue.
van der Lubbe
Rob H J
RH
Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. R.H.J.vanderLubbe@gw.utwente.nl
Havik
Maarten M
MM
Bekker
Evelijne M
EM
Postma
Albert
A
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*