Hue-Tone Sensory Interaction: A Negative Result

Abstract

Choice reaction times (RT) were obtained from four trained Ss to red vs blue targets in four conditions. In three conditions, a noninformative tone occurred on half the trials and could be (a) low frequency, (b) high frequency, or (c) either high or low frequency. Tone never occurred in the fourth condition. As previously observed, tone occurrence produced a nonselective reduction in RT. Contrary to some studies where tone selectivity facilitated detection of blue as opposed to red targets, no such selective effects were obtained. As prior studies (Bernstein & Edelstein, 1971) have found tone frequency to interact with RT to targets differing in location (above vs below fixation), it was concluded that the information-processing stage for color selection is different from the stage for location selection.