Why star retrieves scar: Binding and retrieval of perceptual distractor features

If a target stimulus is presented together with a response-irrelevant distractor stimulus, both stimuli can be encoded together with the response in an event file (see Hommel, 2004). The repetition of any feature of such an event-file can then retrieve the previously encoded response. This kind of feature-based retrieval is an important mechanism in action control. Typically, a direct link between perception and action is assumed, whereas the possible role of semantics is unspecified so far. Only a couple of previous studies analyzed whether the repetition of semantic features can elicit event-file retrieval. Yet, in these studies, semantic repetition often included perceptual repetition as well; even more problematic is trying to analyze perceptual repetitions while excluding semantic repetitions. Thus, here we used a different approach by repeating perceptual features but contrasted semantic and perceptual repetitions. In particular, in 2 experiments we found evidence that perceptual features of a distractor (the letters of an irrelevant word) are integrated with the response and can later retrieve the response, even if only some of these features are repeated thus forming a semantically different concept (i.e., presenting Buch [book] retrieves the response made to Bach [brook]). Our result shed new light on the relation between perception, action, and semantics in action control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).