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Selective and nonselective transfer: positive and negative priming in a multiple-task environment
Jason P Leboe1, Bruce W A Whittlesea, Bruce Milliken
1Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. leboej@ms.umanitoba.ca
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|October 27, 2005
Summary
prime-probe effects in cognitive psychology are explained by transfer-appropriate processing, not just activation or inhibition. This theory better accounts for complex patterns observed when processing related stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Information Processing
Background:
- Stimulus processing is influenced by preceding related stimuli (prime-probe effects).
- Structural accounts propose activation or inhibition of mental representations.
- Transfer-appropriate processing (TAP) suggests prior experiences provide necessary resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms of prime-probe effects.
- To differentiate between structural activation/inhibition and TAP theories.
- To analyze how stimulus similarity impacts processing outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Manipulated prime-probe similarity across color, lexical status, and orthographic structure.
- Required participants to perform lexical decision or color identification tasks.
- Observed and analyzed patterns of positive and negative transfer.
Main Results:
- A complex pattern of both positive and negative transfer was observed.
- The observed patterns were not easily explained by simple activation-inhibition models.
- Results indicated a significant influence of prior processing experiences.
Conclusions:
- Evidence supports transfer-appropriate processing as a more comprehensive explanation for prime-probe effects.
- The findings challenge purely structural accounts of cognitive priming.
- Understanding resource availability from prior experiences is crucial for explaining stimulus processing.