Correlational cuing as a function of target complexity and target-flanker similarity

It is generally assumed that the correlational cuing effect (CE) between ta rgets and correlated flankers is due to learning association between the fl ankers and their correlated responses. The present study challenges this vi ew. Experiment 1 shows that the CE for targets composed of color is elimina ted as soon as the correlation is removed. Experiment 2 shows that the CE d uring training is not due to association of the flankers with responses. Ex periment 3 shows that at least some of the CE during training with the corr elation is due to repetition priming of the display. Experiment 4 replicate s the results of Experiment 1 for orientation targets. In Experiments 5-7, more typical tasks with letter targets are examined, and it is demonstrated that preexperimental similarity between targets and correlated flankers is crucial. The CE for correlated but dissimilar target-flanker pairs, simila r to that for color and orientation targets, is confined to on-line process es that occur during training. The CE is transferred, however, for correlat ed and similar target-flanker pairs. We propose that, at least for the simp le stimulus to response mapping used in our study, the CE is not due to lea rning at all. Instead it is due to (1) on-line processes, such as repetitio n priming, that occur during training with the correlation and (2) a regula r flanker effect (see, e.g., B. A Eriksen & C. W. Eriksen, 1974) that occur s for similar target-flanker pairs.