Absence Of Distracting Information Explains The Redundant Signals Effect For A Centrally Presented Categorization Task

Keywords

Categorical processing; Divided attention; Redundancy gain; Redundant signals effect; Visual attention

Abstract

The redundant signals effect, a speed-up in response times with multiple targets compared to a single target in one display, is well-documented, with some evidence suggesting that it can occur even in conceptual processing when targets are presented bilaterally. The current study was designed to determine whether or not category-based redundant signals can speed up processing even without bilateral presentation. Toward that end, participants performed a go/no-go visual task in which they responded only to members of the target category (i.e., they responded only to numbers and did not respond to letters). Numbers and letters were presented along an imaginary vertical line in the center of the visual field. When the single signal trials contained a nontarget letter (Experiment 1), there was a significant redundant signals effect. The effect was not significant when the single-signal trials did not contain a nontarget letter (Experiments 2 and 3). The results indicate that, when targets are defined categorically and not presented bilaterally, the redundant signals effect may be an effect of reducing the presence of information that draws attention away from the target. This suggests that redundant signals may not speed up conceptual processing when interhemispheric presentation is not available.

Publication Date

11-1-2017

Publication Title

Acta Psychologica

Volume

181

Number of Pages

18-26

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.10.002

Socpus ID

85033555337 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85033555337

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