The locus of intersensory facilitation of reaction time

When an imperative visual stimulus is paired with an auditory (accessory) stimulus, RT is generally faster than with the imperative stimulus alone. Three experiments using additive-factors logic tested an energy-summation view of the accessory, where effects are due to increased rate of information...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta psychologica 1984-10, Vol.57 (2), p.145-164
Main Authors: Schmidt, Richard A., Gielen, Stan C.A.M., Van Den Heuvel, Pieter J.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic Stimulation
Activity levels. Psychomotricity
Arousal
Auditory Perception
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Models, Psychological
Photic Stimulation
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reaction Time
Visual Perception
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Summary:When an imperative visual stimulus is paired with an auditory (accessory) stimulus, RT is generally faster than with the imperative stimulus alone. Three experiments using additive-factors logic tested an energy-summation view of the accessory, where effects are due to increased rate of information build-up in sensory stages, and a preparation-enhancement view which holds that the accessory serves an alerting function. Experiment 1 found no interaction between the accessory presence and (visual) stimulus brightness, suggesting no role of the accessory in stimulus identification. Experiment 2 found no interaction between accessory presence and spatial S-R compatibility, arguing that the accessory operated in stage(s) other than response selection. Experiment 3 produced an interaction between the accessory and movement complexity, arguing for accessory effects in a response-programming stage. The data generally favored preparation-enhancement, and offered no support for an energy-summation view.
ISSN:0001-6918
1873-6297
DOI:10.1016/0001-6918(84)90040-4