PRP-paradigm provides evidence for a perceptual origin of the negative compatibility effect.
Visual stimuli (primes) that are made invisible by masking can affect motor responses to a subsequent target stimulus. When a prime is followed by a mask which is followed by a target stimulus, an inverse priming effect (or negative compatibility effect) has been found: Responses are slow and frequently incorrect when prime and target stimuli are congruent, but fast and accurate when prime and target stimuli are incongruent. To functionally localize the origins of inverse priming effects, we applied the psychological refractory period (PRP-) paradigm which distinguishes a perceptual level, a central bottleneck, and a level of motor execution. Two dual-task experiments were run with the PRP-paradigm to localize the inverse priming effect relative to the central bottleneck. Together, results of the Effect-Absorption and the Effect-Propagation Procedure suggest that inverse priming effects are generated by perceptual mechanisms. We suggest two perceptual mechanisms as the source of inverse priming effects.
Krüger
Daniel
D
Georg-Elias-Müller Institute for Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Klapötke
Susan
S
Mattler
Uwe
U
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012033:Refractory Period, Psychological; D060865:Repetition Priming; D055815:Young Adult