Processing redundant information.

When stimuli differing on 2 dimensions (size and brightness), either of which could furnish sufficient information for a correct response were presented to 40 undergraduates RTs were faster than when stimuli differed on only 1 dimension. This result held true even when individual differences in dimension preferences were taken into account. A model of parallel processing of the different dimensions is proposed and extended to M. I. Posner's (see 39:3) taxonomy of information-processing tasks. The model emphasizes S's ability to initiate a successive processing stage as soon as sufficient information for a correct response has been gathered. This ability enables S to capitalize on the variance of the times of the component processes by which the values of the different dimensions are determined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)