TRANSLATING BETWEEN ORTHOGONALLY ORIENTED STIMULUS AND RESPONSE ARRAYS IN 4-CHOICE REACTION TASKS

Citation
Rw. Proctor et al., TRANSLATING BETWEEN ORTHOGONALLY ORIENTED STIMULUS AND RESPONSE ARRAYS IN 4-CHOICE REACTION TASKS, Canadian journal of experimental psychology, 51(2), 1997, pp. 85-98
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology, Experimental
ISSN journal
11961961
Volume
51
Issue
2
Year of publication
1997
Pages
85 - 98
Database
ISI
SICI code
1196-1961(1997)51:2<85:TBOOSA>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
Three experiments examined performance of four-choice reaction tasks u sing stimulus and response arrays oriented along parallel or orthogona l axes. All used a procedure in which pairs of locations were precued in advance of the target stimulus. Responses were slower for orthogona l than for parallel stimulus-response sets, but the pattern of relativ e precuing benefits was similar. Complete transfer occurred when the s timulus array was changed from an orthogonal to a parallel orientation with respect to the response array after three sessions of practice. Transfer was also evident when the orientation of the response array w as changed from orthogonal to parallel with respect to the stimulus ar ray, as long as the assignment of stimulus locations to fingers was no t altered. The results suggest that coding in the four-choice task is by relative location regardless of whether the stimulus and response s ets are oriented orthogonally, and that an additional transformation o peration to align the frames of reference is performed for orthogonal orientations.