Individual differences in processing stimulus dimensions: Relation to selective processing abilities

Abstract

Three studies investigated individual differences in the tendency to process stimulus dimensions in a manner that is either primarily separable or integral. All employed a restricted classification task that allows participants to classify items on the basis of component dimensions (separable perception) or overall similarity (integral perception). Experiment 1 revealed that individual differences in the tendency to classify by dimensional structure versus similarity generalize to two types of stimuli (separate and moderately separable) which were thought to require different types of processing for the perception of their component dimensions. The study also indicated that individuals differ in their tendencies to increase the use of dimensional structure with more exposure to the stimuli. Experiment 2 revealed that both overall dimensional responding and the tendency to increase such responding with exposure to the stimuli were positively related to the ability to break stimuli into components, as measured by Embedded Figures Test performance. Experiment 3 also showed a relation between increased dimensional responding and performance on another selective processing task. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding both individual differences in the processing of stimulus dimensions and the separable-integral perception distinction. © 1985 Psychonomic Society, Inc.