The negative compatibility effect with nonmasking flankers: a case for mask-triggered inhibition hypothesis.

Full Abstract

Visual targets which follow a prime stimulus and a mask can be identified faster when they are incompatible rather than compatible with the prime (negative compatibility effect--NCE). According to the self-inhibition hypothesis, the initial activation of the motor response is elicited by the prime based on its identity. This activation leads to benefits for compatible trials and costs for incompatible trials. This motor activation is followed by an inhibition phase, leading to an NCE if perceptual evidence of the prime is immediately removed by the mask. The object-updating and mask-triggered inhibition hypotheses emphasize the role of the mask content (i.e. whether the mask possesses target-like features). We show that the NCE may appear even if nonmasking neutral flankers are presented instead of a mask. Moreover, although with target-like flankers the NCE is larger, it occurred if flankers and targets are built from dissimilar elements. Therefore, masks/flankers can evoke an inhibition phase independently of whether or not they remove evidence for the prime and whether they are similar to the targets.

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Author information

Author/s: Jaskowski, Piotr (P);

Affiliation: Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Finance and Management, ul. Pawia 55, 01-030 Warszawa, Poland. jaskowski(-atsign-)vizja.pl

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Consciousness and cognition (Conscious Cogn), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Sep; vol 17 (issue 3) : pp 765-77

Dates: Created 2008/07/21; Completed 2008/10/02;

PMID: 18226925, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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