The examination of attentional load theory by Stroop-like task

Abstract

Attentional-load theory (Lavie, 1995) states that task load determines whether task-irrelevant stimuli are processed semantically. In three experiments students were asked to perform a Stroop-like task. They named a centrally fixated target color, while ignoring the task-irrelevant stimulus, which was an incompatible, compatible or non-color word. When perceptual load (the number of target-like stimuli adjacent to the target) was increased, the Stroop-like effect was diminished, providing the evidence for early selection. However, when cognitive load (task demands for identical stimuli) was increased, the evidence for late selection was found. These results were inconsistent with the previous hypothesis that both kinds of task load similarly affect the attentional mechanism.