Are nominal same-different matches slower due to differences in level of processing or to response competition?

Abstract

Eriksen, O'Hara, and Eriksen (1982) have proposed that the latency advantage of same over different judgments when the match is based upon physical identity is due to differential amounts of response competition between the responses by which the judgment of same or different is signified. Responses of "different" are slowed by a high level of priming in the competing response signifying same. In the present experiment, the response competition model is extended to nominal matches and in particular to what Proctor 1198D has termed the "name-physieal disparity"-a pair of letters are more rapidly judged to have the same name if they are the same ease (e.g., a a) than if they are in different eases (e.g., A a). While response competition effects were found to occur in nominal matches of this kind, the name-physieal disparity was greater than could be attributed solely to response competition. Evidence was obtained that part of the name-physieal disparity could be attributed to the subject's having two chances to make a-nominal raatch when the letter pair was identical both physically and in name. The match could be made either on the basis of the physical or the name code. It was assumed that name and physical codes were processed at least partially independently. © 1982 Psychonomic Society, Inc.