The Role of “Attention” in the Psychological Refractory Period

Abstract

A set of experiments is described in which two consecutive signals, separated by a variable time interval, were presented to the subjects. Manual reaction times to these signals were recorded and the delays in the reactions to the second of the two signals were compared in situations where the subject was required to respond to both signals and where he was not required to respond to the first signal. The magnitude of the delays found at any particular interval were the same in both situations, and there was not much difference between cases where the two signals were in the same sense modality (visual) or in different modalities (visual, followed by auditory). These results confirm the suggestion of the writer in a previous paper that there may be a common analysing and classifying system for auditory and visual information and also illustrate a new point. It is paying attention to a signal rather than performing any overt response to it which gives rise to delays in subsequent responses.