Faculty Publications

Influence Of Practice On Response-Selection And Response-Implementation Processes Involved In The Response-Interference Effect

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Acta psychologica

Volume

109

Issue

2

First Page

177

Last Page

194

Abstract

In a choice reaction-time task, the response-interference effect is an increase in reaction times when the two possible responses are from the same hand compared to when the two possible responses are from different hands [Psychonomic Science 2 (1965) 55-56; Human Motor Control, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1991]. Although the influence of practice on other reaction-time effects (i.e., the complexity effect and precuing) has been examined, research evaluating the influence of practice on the response-interference effect is limited. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of practice on the response-interference effect. In Experiment 1, a bilateral transfer task was used to assess the influence of practice on the response-selection processes associated with the response-interference effect. The practice results indicated decreased reaction times, but did not influence the response-interference effect. In Experiment 2, a priming task was used to assess the influence of practice on response-implementation processes associated with the response-interference effect. The reaction time results indicated a change in the response-interference effect. The results of these two experiments suggest that with only two fingers on response keys, practice alters the mechanical constraints affecting the response-implementation processes and thereby decreases the response-interference effect © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Department

Department of Psychology

Original Publication Date

1-1-2002

DOI of published version

10.1016/S0001-6918(01)00056-7

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