title: Response Inhibition Is Facilitated by a Change to Red Over Green in the Stop Signal Paradigm.
abstract: Actions are informed by the complex interactions of response execution and inhibition networks. These networks integrate sensory information with internal states and behavioral goals to produce an appropriate action or to update an ongoing action. Recent investigations have shown that, behaviorally, attention is captured through a hierarchy of colors. These studies showed how the color hierarchy affected visual processing. To determine whether the color hierarchy can be extended to higher level executive functions such as response execution and inhibition, we conducted several experiments using the stop-signal task (SST). In the first experiment, we modified the classic paradigm so that the go signals could vary in task-irrelevant color, with an auditory stop signal. We found that the task-irrelevant color of the go signals did not differentially affect response times. In the second experiment we determined that making the color of the go signal relevant for response selection still did not affect reaction times(RTs) and, thus, execution. In the third experiment, we modified the paradigm so that the stop signal was a task relevant change in color of the go signal. The mean RT to the red stop signal was approximately 25 ms faster than to the green stop signal. In other words, red stop signals facilitated response inhibition more than green stop signals, however, there was no comparative facilitation of response execution. These findings suggest that response inhibition, but not execution, networks are sensitive to differences in color salience. They also suggest that the color hierarchy is based on attentional networks and not simply on early sensory processing.
authors.affiliation: Visual Attention and Perception Laboratory, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York UniversityToronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Vision Research, York UniversityToronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blizzard
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla, Mexico.
authors.forename: Adriela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fierro-Rojas
authors.affiliation: Visual Attention and Perception Laboratory, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York UniversityToronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Vision Research, York UniversityToronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mazyar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallah
keywords: attention; executive function; response execution; response inhibition; stop-signal task; visual perception