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Methods for Presenting Real-world Objects Under Controlled Laboratory Conditions
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Intentional control of visual processing benefits from referential objects.

Nicole M Murchison1, Robert W Proctor2

  • 1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 Third Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2081, USA. nmurchis@purdue.edu.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|December 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The palms are not unique in enhancing visual processing. Hands and similar objects reduce interference in visual tasks by acting as reference points, supporting the referential coding theory.

Keywords:
Extraneous informationFlanker taskHand postureInterference

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Visual perception

Background:

  • The palms have been theorized to enhance visual processing due to a higher density of bimodal neurons.
  • An alternative hypothesis suggests hands act as reference objects, influencing attentional resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether palms uniquely speed responses in an Eriksen flanker-type task.
  • To compare the effect of palms with other hand parts and object barriers on flanker interference.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using an Eriksen flanker-type task.
  • Experiment 1: Hands were crossed with palms facing outward; target designation varied (center vs. outer letters).
  • Experiment 2: Wooden blocks mimicking hand contours were used as reference objects.

Main Results:

  • Reduced flanker interference was observed when palms faced outward, similar to when they faced inward.
  • This interference reduction was consistent regardless of whether central or outer letters were the target.
  • Experiment 2 replicated these findings using object barriers, supporting the referential coding account.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that the reduction in flanker interference is not unique to the palms.
  • Hands and similar objects reduce interference by serving as reference points for attentional allocation.
  • The results support the referential coding account over theories based solely on neuronal density.