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Related Experiment Videos

Multiple bottlenecks in information processing? An electrophysiological examination.

W Sommer1, H Leuthold, T Schubert

  • 1Institut für Psychologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hausvogteiplatz 5-7, 10117 Berlin, Germany. werner.sommer@rz.hu-berlin.de

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|May 9, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Reaction time delays occur when processing two stimuli rapidly. This study shows such delays, specifically the interaction between stimulus onset asynchrony and response alternatives, are due to increased response anticipation, not a response initiation bottleneck.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Processing two stimuli in quick succession leads to delayed reaction time (RT) to the second stimulus.
  • This delay has been theoretically attributed to a single processing bottleneck at response selection or a central bottleneck after response initiation.
  • The response initiation bottleneck hypothesis is supported by underadditive interactions between stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) and the number of stimulus-response alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms of reaction time delays in dual-stimulus processing.
  • To test the response initiation bottleneck hypothesis using electrophysiological measures.
  • To clarify the cause of the interaction between SOA and the number of response alternatives.

Main Methods:

  • Recording the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), an event-related potential reflecting response selection.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparing LRP data under simple and two-choice response conditions with varying SOAs.
  • Analyzing the interaction between SOA and the number of response alternatives.

    • Main Results:

    • LRP findings supported a central bottleneck model of cognitive processing.
    • Evidence contradicted the late bottleneck hypothesis, specifically a response initiation bottleneck.
    • The underadditive interaction between SOA and response alternatives was explained by increased response anticipation in simple response tasks.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides direct electrophysiological evidence against a response initiation bottleneck.
    • Cognitive processing of rapidly presented stimuli involves a central bottleneck.
    • Response anticipation, particularly in simpler tasks, significantly contributes to observed reaction time delays.