A Role for Set in the Control of Automatic Spatial Response Activation

Abstract. Spatial stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility effects are widely assumed to reflect the automatic activation of a spatial response by the spatial attributes of a stimulus. The experiments reported here investigate the role of the participant's set in enabling or interacting with this putatively automatic spatial response activation. Participants performed a color discrimination task (Experiment 1) or a localization task (Experiment 2). In each experiment, two different S-R mappings were used and a task-cue indicated the appropriate mapping on each trial. S-R compatibility and the time between the task-cue and target were manipulated, and compatibility effects were assessed as a function of (a) the time between the task-cue and the stimulus, and (b) whether the S-R mapping repeated or switched on consecutive trials. Critically, whether response mappings repeated or switched on consecutive trials determined the relation between compatibility effects and the time between task-cue and stimulus. These results are discussed in terms of an interaction between automatic spatial response activation and the participant's set.

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Effects of acoustic warning signal intensity in the control of visuospatial interference

Psicológica Journal ◽

10.2478/psicolj-2021-0002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Paola Cappucci ◽

Ángel Correa ◽

Rico Fisher ◽

Torsten Schubert ◽

Juan Lupiáñez

Keyword(s):

Warning Signal ◽

Attentional Focus ◽

Warning Signals ◽

Stimulus Response ◽

Spatial Stimulus ◽

Spatial Attributes ◽

Task Irrelevant ◽

Open Question ◽

The Impact ◽

Spatial Stroop

AbstractPrevious studies have reported increased interference when a task-irrelevant acoustic warning signal preceded the target presentation in cognitive tasks. However, the alerting-congruence interaction was mostly observed for tasks measuring Flanker and Simon interferences but not for Stroop conflict. These findings led to the assumption that warning signals widen the attentional focus and facilitate the processing of irrelevant spatial characteristics. However, it is not clear whether these effects are because of the temporal information provided by the warning signal or because of their alerting effects. Based on these findings, and on the open question about the nature of the warning signal intervention on visuospatial interferences, we decided to test the impact of the warning signal on the processing of irrelevant spatial features, by using a procedure suitable for measuring both Simon and spatial Stroop interferences. We also manipulated the intensity of the warning signal to study the effect of the task-irrelevant characteristics of warning signals in visuospatial interferences. For the Simon conflict, results demonstrated an increased interference provoked by the presence (Experiment 1) and intensity (Experiment 2) of warning signals. In contrast, neither the presence nor the intensity of warning signals affected the spatial Stroop interference. Overall, these findings suggest that the impact of warning signals primarily depends on the processing of irrelevant spatial attributes and on the type of conflict (e.g., spatial stimulus-response interference in Simon vs. stimulus-stimulus interference in spatial Stroop). In general, acoustic warning signals facilitate the automatic response activation, but their modulatory effect depends on the task setting involved.

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Neural Mechanisms of Reward-by-Cueing Interactions: ERP Evidence

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2021.608427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Xian Li ◽

Meichen Zhang ◽

Lulu Wu ◽

Qin Zhang ◽

Ping Wei

Keyword(s):

Discrimination Task ◽

Inhibition Of Return ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Neural Mechanism ◽

Color Discrimination ◽

Neural Mechanisms ◽

Localization Task ◽

Exogenous Cueing ◽

High Reward ◽

Related Potentials

Inhibition of return (IOR) refers to the phenomenon that a person is slower to respond to targets at a previously cued location. The present study aimed to explore whether target-reward association is subject to IOR, using event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the underlying neural mechanism. Each participant performed a localization task and a color discrimination task in an exogenous cueing paradigm, with the targets presented in colors (green/red) previously associated with high- or low-reward probability. The results of both tasks revealed that the N1, Nd, and P3 components exhibited differential amplitudes between cued and uncued trials (i.e., IOR) under low reward, with the N1 and Nd amplitudes being enhanced for uncued trials compared to cued trials, and the P3 amplitude being enhanced for cued trials vs. uncued trials. Under high reward, however, no difference was found between the amplitudes on cued and uncued trials for any of the components. These findings demonstrate that targets that were previously associated with high reward can be resistant to IOR and the current results enrich the evidence for interactions between reward-association and attentional orientation in the cueing paradigm.

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No evidence for automatic response activation with target onset in the avatar-compatibility task

Memory & Cognition ◽

10.3758/s13421-020-01052-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (7) ◽

pp. 1249-1262 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Böffel ◽

J. Müsseler

Keyword(s):

Orthogonal Experiment ◽

Point Of View ◽

Spatial Compatibility ◽

Response Compatibility ◽

Stimulus Response ◽

Automatic Response ◽

Dual Route ◽

Stimulus Response Compatibility ◽

Response Activation

Abstract When people take the perspective of an avatar and perform a stimulus-response compatibility task, they generally show the same compatibility effects that are expected from the avatar’s position instead of their own. In this study, we investigated if these effects are caused by automatic response activation, a concept featured in dual-route models of stimulus-response compatibility. In two experiments we asked 24 participants each to perform a compatibility task from an avatar’s point of view. We introduced a delay between the presentation of the target and the avatar in half of the trials so that the participants had to wait until the avatar appeared to select the correct response. Because the automatic response activation is known to decay quickly, its influence is eliminated in this condition. In contrast to the prediction by the automatic response activation account, we observed a larger compatibility effect in the delayed condition with orthogonal (Experiment 1) and parallel (Experiment 2) stimulus-response pairings. Additionally, distributional analyses of the compatibility effects did not support the automaticity predictions. We conclude that these results call into question the role of automatic response activation for spatial compatibility in general and perspective-based compatibility effects in particular.

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The Role of Visual Distractors in the Simon Effect

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169/a000382 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 64 (6) ◽

pp. 387-397 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luisa Lugli ◽

Stefania D’Ascenzo ◽

Roberto Nicoletti ◽

Carlo Umiltà

Keyword(s):

Simon Effect ◽

Simon Task ◽

Automatic Generation ◽

Spatial Code ◽

Attentional Model ◽

Previous Evidence ◽

Spatial Stimulus ◽

Attentional Resources ◽

Code Changes

Abstract. The Simon effect lies on the automatic generation of a stimulus spatial code, which, however, is not relevant for performing the task. Results typically show faster performance when stimulus and response locations correspond, rather than when they do not. Considering reaction time distributions, two types of Simon effect have been individuated, which are thought to depend on different mechanisms: visuomotor activation versus cognitive translation of spatial codes. The present study aimed to investigate whether the presence of a distractor, which affects the allocation of attentional resources and, thus, the time needed to generate the spatial code, changes the nature of the Simon effect. In four experiments, we manipulated the presence and the characteristics of the distractor. Findings extend previous evidence regarding the distinction between visuomotor activation and cognitive translation of spatial stimulus codes in a Simon task. They are discussed with reference to the attentional model of the Simon effect.

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Role of Generalization in Stimulus-Response Compatibility

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1961.13.1.59 ◽

1961 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 59-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Roger N. Shepard

Keyword(s):

Response Compatibility ◽

Stimulus Response ◽

Stimulus Response Compatibility

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Stimulus-response coupling in the human neutrophil. The role of anion fluxes in degranulation.

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0021-9258(18)34516-2 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 257 (12) ◽

pp. 6916-6922

Author(s):

H M Korchak ◽

B A Eisenstat ◽

J E Smolen ◽

L E Rutherford ◽

P B Dunham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Neutrophil ◽

Stimulus Response

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THE ROLE OF IONISED INTRACELLULAR FREE CALCIUM ([Ca++]i) IN THROMBIN-INDUCED DENSE GRANULE SECRETION

10.1055/s-0038-1644475 ◽

1987 ◽

Author(s):

C T Poll ◽

J Westwick

Keyword(s):

Human Platelets ◽

Dense Granule ◽

Free Calcium ◽

Fluorescent Properties ◽

Fura 2 ◽

Stimulus Response ◽

Dense Granules ◽

Dense Granule Secretion ◽

Granule Secretion

Fura 2 is one of a recently-introduced family of Ca++ indicators with improved fluorescent properties compared to quin 2 (Grynkiewicz et al 1985). This study has examined the role of [Ca++]i in thrombin-induced dense granule release using prostacyclin-washed human platelets loaded with either thedense granule marker 14C-5HT (5HT) alone or with 5HT together with quin 2 ([quin2]i = 0.8mM) or fura 2 ([fura 2]i 20-30µM). In the presence of ImM extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca++]i) the [Ca++]e in quin 2 and fura 2 loaded platelets was 93±2 (n=10 experiments) and 133±0.3nM (n=12 experiments) respectively. In either quin 2 or fura 2 loaded platelets suspended in the presence of ImM [Ca++]e, thrombin (0.23-23.InM) promoted a rapid (in secs)concentration-dependent elevation of [Ca++]i from basal values to levels l-2µM, together with a parallel release of dense granules almost identical to that obtained with thrombin in non dye loaded platelets. In fura 2 loaded cells, removal of [Ca++]e inhibited the elevation of [Ca++]i induced by a sub-maximal concentration of thrombin (0.77nM) by 43+5% (n=4) but interestingly had no significant effect (p<0.05) on the rise in [Ca++]i elicited by low thrombin doses (0.231nM). Neither did lowering [Ca++]e inhibit the release of 5HT evoked by thrombin ( 0.231-23.InM) from either fura 2 loaded or non dye loaded platelets. In contrast, in quin 2 loaded platelets, removal of [Ca++]e inhibited the thrombin (0.231-23.InM) stimulated rise in [Ca++]i-by 90% and the 5HT release response to either low (0.231nM), sub-maximal (0.77nM) or maximal (23.InM) thrombin by 100% (n=4), 87+2°/o (n=6)and 2+l°/o (n=4) respectively. Fura 2 but not quin 2 loaded cells suspended in ImM [Ca++]e exhibited a Ca++ response to thrombin concentrations >2.31nM which could be separated into a rapid phasic component and a more sustained 'tonic' like component inhibitable by removal of [Ca++]e or by addition of ImM Ni++ . These data suggest the use of fura 2 rather than quin 2 for investigating stimulus response coupling in platelets, particularly when [Ca++]e is less than physiological. We thank the British Heart Foundation and Ciba-Geigy USA for financial support.

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