Integration versus separation in stroop-like counting interference tasks

Abstract

Two versions of a Stroop-like counting interference task were compared to examine how irrelevant information is ignored. In the integrated task, participants enumerated digits (inconsistent condition) or letters (neutral condition) while attempting to ignore the identity of the characters. In the newly created separated task, participants enumerated asterisks while attempting to ignore a single digit (inconsistent condition) or letter (neutral condition) at fixation, Interference (longer responses in the inconsistent condition than in the neutral condition) was small but significant in both tasks but was not reduced by separation. Contrasted with the pattern in the color-word Stroop task, these results suggest that dimensional separation has different effects on interference depending on the overall amount of interference.