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A distinction between the initiation and the continuation of response preparation
Author(s) -
Ilan Aaron B.,
Miller Jeff
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/1469-8986.3620209
Subject(s) - continuation , psychology , set (abstract data type) , cognitive psychology , audiology , memoria , developmental psychology , communication , cognition , neuroscience , computer science , medicine , programming language
Previous findings suggest that motoric response preparation cannot be initiated in parallel with memory scanning. In the present study, response preparation was initiated with the aid of a precue to examine whether such preparation can be maintained or continued while memory scanning is active. In Experiment 1, each trial began with a colored square indicating which hand might be needed to respond. A probe letter's memory set membership determined whether the primed response should be made or withheld. Lateralized readiness potentials were initiated by the square precue and continued to increase after letter presentation, suggesting that once response preparation had been initiated it was continued in parallel with memory scanning. Experiment 2 suggested that the difficulty of the concurrent memory search had little effect on the continuation of response preparation. The results support the view that motoric response preparation consists of at least two qualitatively distinct phases—initiation and continuation.