ISSN : 1226-9654
Using the simultaneous-sequential presentation search paradigm, we investigated how different types of load manipulation would tap into attentional resources and the concrete mechanism by which search would be performed. Search display perceptual load was manipulated by set-size and target-distractor similarity. The benefit of sequential presentation was larger when the load was increased by number of search items than when target-distractor discrimination was made more demanding. Considering that the load effect could be result from both perceptual load and statistical decision noise, the current results are explained by suggesting that set-size will determine whether the search process will be serial or parallel, regardless of perceptual difficulty. Factors that can set the limit of attentional resources are also discussed.
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