Attention shifting between global and local target levels: The persistenceof level-repetition effects

The aim of the reported experiments was to investigate the persistence of g lobal/local level-repetition effects in an identification task with hierarc hical stimuli. In the first experiment the trial rate was self paced, and c ues were available during the unconstrained preparation interval. Neverthel ess, significant level-repetition effects occurred, which were similar for shifts from global to local, and vice versa. Also, the role of the spatial- frequency content of the stimuli was examined. but no indication was found that it affected the repetition effects. In the second experiment, the time and the cue information available for preparation as well as the interval between cue and stimulus (ISI) was varied. It turned out that the response times decreased with an increasing ISI. However, the level-repetition effec ts were unaffected. In all, the level-repetition effects turned out to be l argely independent of voluntary control mechanisms.