Conflict background triggered congruency sequence effects in graphic judgment task

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54780. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054780. Epub 2013 Jan 23.

Abstract

Congruency sequence effects refer to the reduction of congruency effects when following an incongruent trial than following a congruent trial. The conflict monitoring account, one of the most influential contributions to this effect, assumes that the sequential modulations are evoked by response conflict. The present study aimed at exploring the congruency sequence effects in the absence of response conflict. We found congruency sequence effects occurred in graphic judgment task, in which the conflict stimuli acted as irrelevant information. The findings reveal that processing task-irrelevant conflict stimulus features could also induce sequential modulations of interference. The results do not support the interpretation of conflict monitoring and favor a feature integration account that the congruency sequence effects are attributed to the repetitions of stimulus and response features.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Judgment*
  • Male
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Psychomotor Performance*
  • Reaction Time
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-08-0801) and the Key Program of the 11th Five year Plan of National Education Science (DBA070070). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.