Abstract
Models of the Stroop effect that postulate single, centralized processing stations are fundamentally incorrect. A translational model is proposed in which parallel processing systems are hypothesized that are linked by a translation mechanism. Each system processes information using its own internal code specifically linked to the type of information the system processes. Information is passed between these systems via the translation mechanism. Evidence supporting this model comes from both the literature and the experiments reported in this article. Of primary importance is the demonstration that the pattern of interference that emerges is dependent upon the cognitive system used to process the information.
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This work was supported by NSF Grant BNS81-00842. We would like to thank Alfonso Caramazza and Michael McCloskey for helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript and Jordan Weinstein for his invaluable assistance in carrying out the mechanics of the studies reported in this article.
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Virzi, R.A., Egeth, H.E. Toward a translational model of Stroop interference. Mem Cogn 13, 304–319 (1985). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202499
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202499