Reaction time and serial versus parallel information processing.

Lindsay, Robert K.; Lindsay, Jane M.

doi:10.1037/h0022836

Cited by 28 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This research was also supported in part by a grant from the Office of Education to Dr. Howard E. Egeth. produced results which support parallel processing of multidimensional information (Donderi & Zelnicker, 1969;Egeth & Pachella, 1969;Hawkins, 1969;Neisser, 1963;Neisser, Novick, & Lazar, 1963;Shurtleff & Marsetta, 1968;Tulving & Lindsay, 1967). And finally, the remaining studies in this body of research yield results which do not unequivocally support anyone mode of processing (Atkinson, Holmgren, & Juola, 1969;Bamber, 1969;Egeth & Smith, 1965;Lindsay & Lindsay, 1966;Nickerson, 1967;Sekuler & Abrams, 1968).…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some studies alphanumeric characters comprised the stimulus sets (e.g., Neisser et al, 1963;Nickerson, 1966;Sternberg, 1966), while others used randomly generated figures (Briggs & Blaha, 1969;Sekuler & Abrams, 1968). The remaining stimuli can be separated into two types: stimuli formed from combinations of purely arbitrary dimensions which can be added or taken away at will, such as color or inscribed figure (Egeth, 1966;Harris & Haber, 1963;Hawkins, 1969;Lindsay & Lindsay, 1966;Nickerson, 1967), and stimuli whose dimensions are integral to the whole stimulus configuration such that without one of the dimensions the stimulus ceases to exist (Egeth & Pachella, 1969;Tulving & Lindsay, 1967). Examples of integral dimensions would be pitch and loudness; a tone cannot exist without both of these dimensions.…”

Section: Relevant Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variables influencing the mode of processing of complex stimuli

Grill

1971

Perception & Psychophysics

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The present study attempts to specify some of the conditions under which parallel and serial processing may occur. The three variables studied were (I) type of task, (2) relative set for speed vs accuracy, and (3) practice. Pairs of multidimensional, geometric stimuli were presented either simultaneously or successively to S who was required to indicate whether they were the same or different. Each S participated in nine sessions. For half of the Ss speed was emphasized, and for the other half accuracy was emphasized.. The results indicated that: (I) responses were faster with successive presentation than with simultaneous presentation; (2) with successive presentation, processing was serial; (3) in the simultaneous presentation condition, a gradual shift from serial to parallel processing occurred with practice; and (4) the speed and accuracy instructions used in this experiment produced no differential effects on latency or errors.Within the past few years, attention has been directed toward the mode of processing of information provided by complex stimuli. One of the questions of chief concern has been whether information about several dimensions is processed simultaneously (in parallel) or one dimension at a time (serially). In other words, an implicit assumption on which this research has been based is that human organisms are either serial processors or parallel processors. However, the present study is founded on the assumption that humans may be capable of performing in either of these modes (and, perhaps, others as well) and that the most profitable line of study is one which attempts to specify the conditions under which parallel and serial processing can occur. Previous ResearchFrom the research aimed at resolving the issue of serial vs parallel processing of multidimensional information, there have emerged several studies which provide evidence in support of serial processing (Briggs

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Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Relevant Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variables influencing the mode of processing of complex stimuli

Grill

1971

Perception & Psychophysics

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“…The chief concern of that research has been to determine whether information about several dimensions is processed simultaneously or one dimension at a time (Egeth, 1966;Lindsay & Lindsay, 1966;Neisser, 1967;Nickerson & Feehrer, 1964). It seemed worthwhile to attempt to extend this analysis to the absolute .94…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multidimensional stimulus identification

Egeth

Pachella

1969

Perception & Psychophysics

104

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“…There have been a number of studies reported that were concerned with the question of whether the processing of separable attributes (e.g., shape and size) of a single stimulus can be processed simultaneously or must be processed serially (e.g., Biederman & Checkosky, 1970;Downing & Gossman, 1970;Egeth, 1966;Hawkins, 1969;Lindsay & Lindsay, 1966;Nickerson, 1967;Saraga & Shallice, 1973). The tasks in these earlier studies were usually comparison tasks wherein a subject reported whether multiattribute items were the same as, or different from, a memorized target item.…”

Section: Processing Of Multi-dimensional Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Items could differ in terms of a single attribute or many attributes. Most investigators concluded that multiple attributes could be processed simultaneously (but see Egeth, 1966, andLindsay &Lindsay, 1966).…”

Section: Processing Of Multi-dimensional Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking for two targets at the same time: One search or two?

Moore

Osman

1993

Perception & Psychophysics

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A considerable amount of evidence suggests that, under conditions of high discriminability, subjects are able to process multiple elements in a visual display simultaneously when searching for a single target among distractors. Relatively little emphasis, however, has been placed on the question of whether subjects can search for and detect multiple targets simultaneously. This latter question is the focus of the present report. In two experiments, we compare performance in single-target and multiple-target detection tasks in order to investigate whether or not multiple targets can be detected simultaneously. In Experiment 1, subjects searched for one or two targets that were defined by color. In Experiment 2, subjects searched for a color and/or a letter target. When the two targets were presented in the same location (e.g., a red X when Target 1 was red and Target 2 was an X), they seemed to be detected simultaneously. Implications for object-based processing of visual information are discussed.Much work in the area of visual search has focused on questions concerning the spatial "mode" of search. Specifically, investigators have tried to determine under what conditions (if any) subjects are able to process all elements of a visual display simultaneously and under what conditions they must process each item in turn. The former mode is known as spatially parallel search; the latter mode is known as spatially serial search.One method of distinguishing between spatially parallel and spatially serial search is to manipulate the number of elements in a display and observe how response time varies as a function of the number of elements present (e.g., Egeth, Jonides, & Wall, 1972;Neisser, 1967;Treisman, Sykes, & Gelade, 1977). Typically, a single target item is specified (e.g., an X), which subjects are to detect from among displays of distracting items. The number of distractors in the display can be varied from few to many. If each element is processed in turn, then each element that is processed before the target item is found will add to total search time. Spatially serial search therefore predicts a positive, monotonic relationship between the number of elements in the display and the time required to find the target. In contrast, if all elements are processed simultaneously, search time should be determined only by the processing of the target. Spatially parallel search therefore predicts that the time required to find the target should be unaffected by the number of elements in the display. This method has been used extenWhile conducting this research, the first author was supported by a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship. The authors are grateful to Toby Mordkoff, Charles Eriksen, Jeff Miller, Hal Pashler, Jeremy Wolfe, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this work. Correspondence should be addressed to C. M. Moore, Department of Psychology, University ofCalifomia, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109 (e-mail: cmoore@ucsd.edu). 381 sively to identify conditi...

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Reaction time and serial versus parallel information processing.

Cited by 28 publications

References 19 publications

Variables influencing the mode of processing of complex stimuli

Variables influencing the mode of processing of complex stimuli

Multidimensional stimulus identification

Looking for two targets at the same time: One search or two?

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