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Published on: December 5, 2014
Temporal, but not spatial, context modulates a masked prime's effect on temporal order judgment, but not on response
1Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Germany. Christoph.Steglich@mail.psycho.rwth-aachen.de
Even invisible visual primes significantly impact reaction times (RT) and perceived timing (temporal order judgment). However, these effects differ, suggesting distinct underlying cognitive mechanisms influenced by temporal, not spatial, context.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Perception
- Metacontrast Masking
Background:
- Previous research by Neumann et al. described a dissociation in visual processing.
- Metacontrast masking involves a stimulus (prime) preceding a target, influencing perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dissociation of prime effects on reaction time (RT) and temporal order judgment (TOJ).
- To examine the role of spatial and temporal context on these effects.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments used geometric shapes as stimuli, employing metacontrast masking.
- Tasks included reaction time measurement, temporal order judgment, and prime detectability tests.
- Varying spatial and temporal contexts to assess their influence on prime effects.
Main Results:
- An undetectable prime significantly affected both RT and TOJ.
- The prime's effect on RT was larger than its effect on TOJ.
- Reducing temporal context abolished the prime's effect on TOJ but not RT.
- Spatial context did not alter the observed pattern of results.
Conclusions:
- Partially different cognitive mechanisms mediate prime effects in RT and TOJ tasks.
- The influence of stimulus context on TOJ is primarily temporal, not spatial.
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