Matching Verbal and Concrete Stimulus Attributes

Abstract

Reaction time for matching a stimulus figure against 2 of its concrete attributes (shape and number) presented separately but simultaneously in 2 other figures was compared with that for matching the figure against the printed names of the attributes. One group of 5 men and 5 women served in the first task condition and another group in the second. The attributes and attribute-names were presented in both syntactical and non-syntactical orders. No significant task or order effects were found, a result contrary to the hypothesis that selective attention to attributes involves their verbal encoding.