Immediately preceding stimuli increase the detection of a less detectable but not a more detectable stimulus

Abstract

Both a small (S) and a large (L) stimulus occurred individually and randomly over trials. The task was to make the same speeded response to either stimulus. LSSS sequences on trials N-3, N-2, N-1, and N, respectively, resulted in a faster RT to S on trial N than to S on trial N-2. However, SLLL sequences did not produce a corresponding increase in detection. Also, overall, S was less detectable than L. Suppose that the physical S on trial N was lower in detectability-memorability than a memorial S produced by S on the immediately preceding trials N-1 and N-2. If so, the physical S may have assimilated in detectability-memorability to the memorial S. explaining why its detectability increased. In contrast, the physical L may have been sufficiently high in detectability-memorability to preclude a comparable assimilation. The theory: assimilation underlies detectability, regardless of whether two components are both physical (previous research), or whether one is physical and the other is memorial (the present research).

Grouping and Assimilation in Perception, Memory, and Conditioning

“…Accordingly, factors that should increase a target's salience should attenuate memory's ability to improve the discrimination of the target from background. This prediction has been confirmed for basic priming (King, 1996a), long-term memory (Prinzmetal & Silvers, 1994), and selective attention (Hawkins, Shafto, & Richardson, 1988). In these studies, the more salient target was larger, not masked, and higher in intensity, respectively.…”

“…Basic priming appears to improve the discrimination of a target from background and thus increase its salience. In King (1996a), on an individual trial, either a small or a large circle occurred at the center of a monitor. Over trials, the two circles occurred randomly.…”