Journal article
Extending the simultaneous-sequential paradigm to measure perceptual capacity for features and words
Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance, Vol.37(3), pp.813-833
06/2011
DOI: 10.1037/a0021440
PMCID: PMC6999820
PMID: 21443383
Abstract
In perception, divided attention refers to conditions in which multiple stimuli are relevant to an observer. To measure the effect of divided attention in terms of perceptual capacity, we introduce an extension of the simultaneous-sequential paradigm. The extension makes predictions for fixed-capacity models as well as for unlimited-capacity models. We apply this paradigm to two example tasks, contrast discrimination and word categorization, and find dramatically different effects of divided attention. Contrast discrimination has unlimited capacity, consistent with independent, parallel processing. Word categorization has a nearly fixed capacity, consistent with either serial processing or fixed-capacity, parallel processing. We argue that these measures of perceptual capacity rely on relatively few assumptions compared to most alternative measures.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Extending the simultaneous-sequential paradigm to measure perceptual capacity for features and words
- Creators
- Alec Scharff - Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. scharff@u.washington.eduJohn PalmerCathleen M Moore
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance, Vol.37(3), pp.813-833
- DOI
- 10.1037/a0021440
- PMID
- 21443383
- PMCID
- PMC6999820
- NLM abbreviation
- J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform
- ISSN
- 0096-1523
- eISSN
- 1939-1277
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- R01 MH067793 / NIMH NIH HHS MH067793 / NIMH NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/2011
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Injury Prevention Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9984001103802771
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