Abstract
Choice reaction time is strongly determined by the sequence of preceding stimuli. With long response-stimulus intervals (RSIs), a cost-benefit pattern is observed, which has been related to expectancy, whereas with short RSIs a benefit-only pattern emerges, possibly because of automatic facilitation. In the present study, event-related potentials were recorded while subjects performed serial choice responses to visual and auditory stimuli at long and short RSIs. As expected, reaction times displayedcost-benefit andbenefit-only patterns at long and short RSIs, respectively. In contrast, sequential effects in event-related potential amplitudes displayed a cost-benefit pattern, unaffected by the RSI. The results demonstrate that an expectancy-like mechanism is always active in serial tasks but appears to influence performance only when the RSI is long.
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This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (So 177/6-1).
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Sommer, W., Leuthold, H. & Soetens, E. Covert signs of expectancy in serial reaction time tasks revealed by event-related potentials. Perception & Psychophysics 61, 342–353 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03206892
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03206892