COACTIVATION IN THE PERCEPTION OF REDUNDANT TARGETS

Reaction time (RT) to redundant stimuli was investigated while controlling for distraction effects and response competition. In Experiment 1, a redundancy gain was found for 2 target letters with identical features (redundant) compared to trials in which 2 different targets shared the same response assignment (compatible) indicating coactivation of stimulus inputs. No difference in RTs was found between compatible displays and displays containing 2 targets with different responses (incompatible), suggesting (with other evidence) that letters were serially processed. In Experiment 2, a redundancy gain was again found. Unlike in Experiment 1, incompatible displays produced response competition, indicating a redundancy gain with parallel processing. Three forms of redundancy gains operating under specific conditions are discussed.