A second visual stimulus, to which no response was required, following a primary one lengthened the reaction time to the first stimulus for 25 college students. Reaction time rose as a function of the increase in the interstimulus interval. Duration time of the second stimulus did not affect this response. These results were found under a condition of stimulus-response certainty.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BerlucciG.HeronW.HymanR.RizzolattiG., & UmiltaC.Simple reaction times of ipsilateral and contralateral hand to lateralized visual stimuli. Brain, 1971, 94, 419–430.
2.
BernsteinI. H.RoseR., & AsheV. M.Energy integration in intersensory facilitation. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1970, 86, 196–203.
HelsonH.Current trends and issues in adaptation-level theory. American Psychologist, 1964, 19, 26–38.
5.
HelsonH., & StegerJ. A.On the inhibitory effects of a second stimulus following the primary stimulus to react. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1962, 64, 201–205.
6.
HermanL. M.Effects of second signals on response time to first signals under certainty and uncertainty. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 80, 106–112.
7.
HermanL. M., & IsraelA.Decremental and facilitatory effects of second signals on response time of first signals under different levels of uncertainty. Proceedings of 75th Annual Convention, APA, 1967, 2, 27–28.
8.
HermanL. M., & KantowitzB. H.Effects of signals occurring after response selection on responses to first signals. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 80, 570–572.
9.
HermanL. M., & KantowitzB. H.The psychological refractory period effect: only half the double-stimulation story?Psychological Bulletin, 1970, 73, 74–88.
10.
HermanL. M., & McCauleyM. E.Delay in responding to the first stimulus in the “psychological refractory period” experiment: comparisons with delay produced by a second stimulus not requiring a response. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 81, 344–350.
11.
KantowitzB. H.Response force as an indicant of conflict in double stimulation. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1973, 100, 302–309.
12.
KitterlbF. L., & HelsonH.On the inhibitory effect of a second stimulus following the primary stimulus to react: a successful replication. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1972, 96, 138–141.
13.
KoplinJ. H.FoxR., & DozierR.A failure to replicate the inhibitory effects of a second stimulus following the primary stimulus to react. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1966, 72, 914–916.
14.
LappinJ. S., & EriksenC. W.Inhibition of a simple visual reaction time by a second stimulus: a failure to replicate. Psychonomic Science, 1964, 1, 293–294.