Date of Award

Fall 1988

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Raymond H. Kirby

Committee Member

Glynn D. Coates

Committee Member

J. Raymond Comstock

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P65A76

Abstract

Past research has neglected irrelevant dimensions of visual warning signals in choice reaction-time tasks. The present study examined the effects of an irrelevant dimension of a visual warning signal and that signal's value in predicting a response stimulus on choice reaction time. A warning signal, which was a geometric figure, appeared in the center of a VDT screen and was followed by one of two response stimuli (open circles). The predictive value of the warning signal was defined as the percentage of trials during which the warning signal accurately predicted the response stimulus by size and was manipulated in the present study as either .50, .66, .83 or 1.00. On half of the trials, an irrelevant dimension of the warning signal — its shape — was also varied. 24 male and 24 female subjects participated for 240 trials each. The results indicated that the fastest reaction times and lowest number of errors occurred when the predictive value was 1.00. However, there were no differences in reaction time between the conditions with predictive values of .50, .66, or .83. No errors were made when shape of the warning signal was varied (irrelevant dimension) than when it was not. These results support the hypothesis that predictive values of less than 1.00 as well as variations in an irrelevant dimension of a warning signal cause response competition in information processing, resulting in slower reaction times or increased number of errors.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/vrtd-0g48

Download

Share

COinS