SEMANTIC COMPONENT OF A CROSS-MODAL STROOP-LIKE TASK

Three experiments showed that the pattern of interference of single-mo dality modality Stroop tests also exists cross-modally. Distractors an d targets were either pictures or auditory words. In a naming task (Ex periment 1), word distractors from the same semantic category as pictu re targets interfered with picture naming more than did semantically u nrelated distractors; the semantic category of picture distractors did not differentially affect word naming. In a categorization task (Expe riment 2), this Stroop-like effect was reversed: Picture distractors f rom the same semantic category as word targets interfered less with wo rd categorization than picture distractors that were semantically unre lated; the semantic category of word distractors did not differentiall y affect picture categorization. Experiment 3 replicated these effects when each subject performed both tasks; the task, naming or categoriz ing, determined the pattern of interference between pictures and audit ory words. The results thus support the existence of a semantic compon ent of a cross-modal Stroop-like effect.