Variations in Responding during a Double-Stimulation Task

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-242
Author(s):  
Ian M. Franks ◽  
James Canil
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Processing ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Response Pair ◽  
Stimulation Paradigm ◽  
Double Stimulation

This study was done to investigate changes in reaction times to the first of two temporally spaced stimuli in a double stimulation paradigm. When a foot response was required to the first stimulus, increasing the complexity of the second stimulus-response pair significantly delayed the time to respond to the first stimulus. McLeod's 1977 model of parallel processing appears to offer the best explanation of the data although certain modifications to this model are suggested.

Parallel Processing of Luminance Steps in the Presence of Luminance Gradients

Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 62-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Grodon ◽  
M Fahle
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Processing ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Human Visual System ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Step Size ◽  
Detection Thresholds ◽  
Imaginary Circle ◽  
Staircase Procedure ◽  
Dark Background ◽  
Spatial Changes

Some features of complex visual displays are analysed effortlessly and in parallel by the human visual system, without requiring scrutiny. Examples for such features are changes of luminance, colour, orientation, and movement. We measured thresholds as well as reaction times for the detection of abrupt spatial changes in luminance in the presence of luminance gradients, in order to evaluate the ability of the system to ignore such gradients. Stimuli were presented on a 20 inch monitor under control of a Silicon Graphics workstation. Luminance was calibrated by means of a photometer (Minolta). We presented between 4 and 14 rectangles simultaneously on a homogeneous dark background. Rectangles were arranged on an incomplete, imaginary circle around the fixation point and luminance changed stepwise from one rectangle to the next. Five observers had to indicate whether all luminance steps between the rectangles were subjectively equal or whether one luminance step was larger. Detection thresholds were determined for the larger step as a function of the small steps (‘base step size’) by means of an adaptive staircase procedure. The smallest luminance steps were detected when the base step size was zero and when only few rectangles were presented. Thresholds increased slightly with the number of rectangles displayed simultaneously, and to a greater extent (by up to a factor of 2) with increasing base step size. The results of all observers improved significantly through practice, by about a factor of 2. We conclude that the visual system is unable to completely eliminate gradients of luminance and to isolate sharp transitions in luminance.

Selective Effects of Physical Exercise on Choice Reaction Processes

1998 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Arcelin ◽  
Didier Delignieres ◽  
Jeanick Brisswalter
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Aerobic Power ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Bicycle Ergometer ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Time Uncertainty ◽  
Reaction Processes ◽  
Processing Mechanisms

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of an exercise of moderate intensity (60% of maximal aerobic power) on specific information-processing mechanisms. 22 students completed 3 10-min. exercise bouts on a bicycle ergometer. Concomitantly, participants performed six manual choice-reaction tasks manipulating task variables (Signal Intensity, Stimulus–Response Compatibility, and Time Uncertainty) on two levels. Reaction tests, randomly ordered, were administered at rest and during exercise. A significant underadditive interaction between Time Uncertainty and exercise was found for the highest quartiles of the distribution of reaction times. No other interaction effects were obtained for the other variables. These results reasonably support that moderate aerobic exercise showed selective rather than general influences on information processing.

Stimulus-response compatibility in intensity-force relations

2002 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1175-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Mattes ◽  
Hartmut Leuthold ◽  
Rolf Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Stimulus Intensity ◽  
Compatibility Effect ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Response Compatibility ◽  
Weak Force ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Target Force ◽  
Stimulus Response Compatibility ◽  
Symbolic Coding ◽  
Modality Difference

Romaiguère, Hasbroucq, Possamaï, and Seal (1993) reported a new compatibility effect from a task that required responses of two different target force levels to stimuli of two different intensities. Reaction times were shorter when high and low stimulus intensities were mapped to strong and weak force presses respectively than when this mapping was reversed. We conducted six experiments to refine the interpretation of this effect. Experiments 1 to 4 demonstrated that the compatibility effect is clearly larger for auditory than for visual stimuli. Experiments 5 and 6 generalized this finding to a task where stimulus intensity was irrelevant. This modality difference refines Romaiguère et al.'s (1993) symbolic coding interpretation by showing that modality-specific codes underlie the intensity-force compatibility effect. Possible accounts in terms of differences in the representational mode and action effects are discussed.

scholarly journals Early Neural Correlates of an Auditory Pitch - Visual Size Cross-modal Association

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie C. Boyle ◽  
Christoph Kayser ◽  
Robin A. A. Ince
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Neural Signals ◽  
Large Circle ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Small Circle ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Trial Analysis ◽  
Low Tone ◽  
Visual Size

AbstractResearch has shown participants associate high pitch tones with small objects, and low pitch tones with large objects. Yet it remains unclear when these associations emerge in neural signals, and whether or not they are likely the result of predictive coding mechanisms being influenced by multisensory priors. Here we investigated these questions using a modified version of the implicit association task, 128-channel human EEG, and two approaches to single-trial analysis (linear discriminant and mutual information). During two interlaced discrimination tasks (auditory high/low tone and visual small/large circle), one stimulus was presented per trial and the auditory stimulus-response assignment was manipulated. On congruent trials preferred pairings (high tone, small circle) were assigned to the same response key, and on incongruent trials non-preferred pairings were (low tone, small circle). The results showed participants (male and female) responded faster during auditory congruent than incongruent trials. The EEG results showed that acoustic pitch and visual size were represented early in the trial (~100 ms and ~220 ms), over temporal and frontal regions. Neural signals were also modulated by congruency early in the trial for auditory (<100ms) and visual modalities (~200ms). For auditory trials, EEG components were predictive of reaction times, but for visual trials they were not. These EEG results were consistent across analysis methods, demonstrating they are robust to the statistical methodology used. Overall, our data support an early origin of cross-modal associations, and suggest that these may originate during early sensory processing potentially due to predictive coding mechanisms.

scholarly journals Costly habitual avoidance is reduced by concurrent goal-directed approach in a modified devaluation paradigm

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Glück ◽  
Katharina Zwosta ◽  
Uta Wolfensteller ◽  
Hannes Ruge ◽  
Andre Pittig
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Avoidance Behaviors ◽  
Monetary Rewards ◽  
Neutral Object ◽  
Full Screen ◽  
Reward Contingencies ◽  
Habitual Responding ◽  
Healthy Participants

Avoidance habits potentially contribute to maintaining maladaptive, costly avoidance behaviors that persist in the absence of threat. However, experimental evidence about costly habitual avoidance is scarce. In two experiments, we tested whether extensively trained avoidance impairs the subsequent goal-directed approach of rewards. Healthy participants were extensively trained to avoid an aversive outcome by performing simple responses to distinct full-screen color stimuli. After the subsequent devaluation of the aversive outcome, participants received monetary rewards for correct responses to neutral object pictures, which were presented on top of the same full-screen colors. These approach responses were either compatible or incompatible with habitual avoidance responses. Notably, the full-screen colors were not relevant to inform approach responses. In Experiment 1, participants were not instructed about post-devaluation stimulus-response-reward contingencies. Accuracy was lower in habit-incompatible than in habit-compatible trials, indicating costly avoidance, whereas reaction times did not differ. In Experiment 2, contingencies were explicitly instructed. Accuracy differences disappeared, but reaction times were slower in habit-incompatible than in habit-compatible trials, indicating low-cost habitual avoidance tendencies. These findings suggest a small but consistent impact of habitual avoidance tendencies on subsequent goal-directed approach. Costly habitual responding could, however, be inhibited when competing goal-directed approach was easily realizable.

Stimulus-Response Incompatibility: Extra Processing Stages versus Response Competition

1979 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 415-419
Author(s):  
Steven P. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Processing Time ◽  
Response Competition ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Compatibility Factor ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Additive Factor Method ◽  
Time Required ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Spatial Stroop

The extra processing time required by incompatible S-R arrays has been explained in two ways: an increased number of processing stages or response competition from the compatible response. The additive factor method was employed, combining an S-R compatibility factor with a known response competition factor (a spatial Stroop task). The relationship between these two factors was shown to be an additive one, indicating that the two variables have their loci in (at least) two separate stages. This outcome is seen as persuasive evidence that longer reaction times for incompatible responses result from extra processing stages, rather than from response competition.

Auditory Warning Signals Affect Mechanisms of Response Selection

2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rico Fischer ◽  
Franziska Plessow ◽  
Andrea Kiesel
Keyword(s):  
Selective Attention ◽  
Response Selection ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Relevant Stimulus ◽  
Attention Task ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Spatial Stimulus ◽  
Direct Route ◽  
Stimulus Features ◽  
Indirect Route

Irrelevant tone (accessory) stimuli facilitate performance in simple and choice reaction time tasks. In the present study, we combined accessory stimulation with a selective attention paradigm in order to investigate its influence on mechanisms of response selection. In the framework of a spatial stimulus-response compatibility task (Simon task), we tested whether accessory stimuli selectively affect bottom up triggered response activation processes (e.g., direct route processing), processing of task-relevant stimulus features (indirect route processing), or both/none. Results suggest a two-component effect of accessory stimuli within this selective attention task. First, accessory stimuli increased the Simon effect due to beneficial direct route processing. Second, accessory stimuli generally decreased reaction times indicating facilitation of indirect route processing.

Intact Context-Dependent Modulation of Conflict Monitoring in Childhood ADHD

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1503-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annet Bluschke ◽  
Witold X. Chmielewski ◽  
Veit Roessner ◽  
Christian Beste
Keyword(s):  
Executive Control ◽  
Flanker Task ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
Performance Deficits ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Control Functions

Objective: Conflict monitoring is well known to be modulated by context. This is known as the Gratton effect, meaning that the degree of interference is smaller when a stimulus–response conflict had been encountered previously. It is unclear to what extent these processes are changed in ADHD. Method: Children with ADHD (combined subtype) and healthy controls performed a modified version of the sequence flanker task. Results: Patients with ADHD made significantly more errors than healthy controls, indicating general performance deficits. However, there were no differences regarding reaction times, indicating an intact Gratton effect in ADHD. These results were supported by Bayesian statistics. Conclusion: The results suggest that the ability to take contextual information into account during conflict monitoring is preserved in patients with ADHD despite this disorder being associated with changes in executive control functions overall. These findings are discussed in light of different theoretical accounts on contextual modulations of conflict monitoring.

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