ISSUES CONCERNING RELATIVE SPEED OF PROCESSING HYPOTHESES, SCHIZOPHRENIC PERFORMANCE DEFICITS, AND PREFRONTAL FUNCTION - COMMENT ON SCHOOLER ET-AL (1997)

The authors have found the data presented in the C. Schooler, E. Neuma nn, L. J. Caplan, and B. R. Roberts (1997) article to be interesting a nd of potential value in constraining the further development of detai led theoretical models of Stroop performance. However, the authors hav e found that the relative speed of processing account of stimulus onse t asynchrony (SOA) effects given by Schooler et al. in Experiment 1 fa ils to address several important and vexing issues faced by such accou nts, which have been highlighted by existing formal models. The author s also have expressed concerns about Schooler et al.'s, interpretation of the reduction in Stroop interference observed among individuals wi th schizophrenia in Experiment 2. Whereas the authors have acknowledge d that it is plausible to relate this to a dysfunction of prefrontal c ortex, they have pointed to equally plausible alternative explanations , which are not addressed by the experiment or in the discussion in th e Schooler et al. article.