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Remembered instructions with symbolic and perceptual comparisons
William M Petrusic1, Samuel Shaki, Craig Leth-Steensen
1Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. bill_petrusic@carleton.ca
Perception & Psychophysics
|April 1, 2008
Summary
Semantic congruity effects (SCEs) were larger when using learned nonsense syllables for instructions, particularly when instruction direction and stimulus location mismatched. This supports evidence-accrual theories of SCEs.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Human perception and cognition
Background:
- Semantic congruity effects (SCEs) demonstrate how the meaning of comparison instructions influences response times.
- Previous theories have struggled to fully explain the mechanisms underlying SCEs, particularly when non-standard stimuli are used.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of learned, arbitrary instructions on semantic congruity effects.
- To test the explanatory power of evidence-accrual theories versus non-evidence-accrual theories in explaining enhanced SCEs.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted, one using symbolic comparisons and another using visual extent comparisons.
- Participants learned to associate consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) nonsense syllables with conventional comparison instructions.
- Semantic congruity effects were measured under conditions where stimulus location and instruction direction did or did not match.
Main Results:
- Semantic congruity effects were significantly larger when CVC nonsense syllables were used as instructions compared to conventional instructions.
- This enhancement was particularly pronounced when the location of the stimulus pair was incongruent with the direction of the learned instruction.
- Findings were not well-explained by non-evidence-accrual theories but were supported by evidence-accrual models.
Conclusions:
- Learned, arbitrary instructions can amplify semantic congruity effects, especially under incongruent stimulus-instruction conditions.
- Evidence-accrual theories provide a robust framework for understanding SCEs, particularly when considering the interplay between stimulus presentation and instructional cues.
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