Parallel memory retrieval in dual-task situations: I. Semantic memory

Can participants retrieve information about the 2nd of 2 stimuli while they are processing the 1st? Four experiments suggest they can. Reaction times to the Ist stimulus were faster if it came from the same category as the 2n d than if it came from a different category. This category-match effect was observed far letter-digit discrimination (Experiment 1), magnitude and par ity judgments about digits (Experiment 2), and lexical decisions (Experimen t 3). Experiment 4 shouted that the 2nd stimulus could semantically prime t he 1st. The category-match effect was observed only when the same task was performed on the 2 stimuli. When the task changed from the 1st stimulus to the 2nd, there was no advantage of a category match. This dependence on tas k set may explain previous failures to fmd parallel retrieval.