Binding of Features and Responses in Inhibition of Return: The Effects of Task Demand.

Binding of target's location and response has been demonstrated in inhibition of return (IOR). This study further investigated the effects of task demand on the binding of the target's form to the target's location and response in the target-target paradigm of IOR. Experiments 1 (detection task) and 2 (localization task), in which the target's form was task irrelevant, suggested the binding of location and response. Experiment 3 (discrimination task), in which the target's form was task relevant, showed the binding of target's form, location, and response. These findings support the concept that the features and responses associated with a target are integrated into episodic representations or event files for the target event. Furthermore, task demand modulates the binding or retrieval of the event files.

Location-response binding and inhibition of return in a detection task.

In the present study, we investigated the binding of location and response in a detection task of the target-target paradigm of inhibition of return (IOR). Results showed a cost of responding to a target at the repeated location (IOR) when the response was not repeated and an effect of facilitation of return (FOR) when the response was repeated. These findings suggest that when responding to a target, its location and the response to it are integrated together. In addition, an analysis of the Vincentized cumulative response time (RT) distribution further showed that memory retrieval of event representations requires time to operate. These findings were discussed according to the theoretical framework of event files.

Contextual Similarity Between Successive Targets Modulates Inhibition of Return in the Target-Target Paradigm.

Inhibition of return (IOR) refers to slower responses to a target presented at a previously cued vs. uncued location. The present study investigated the role of memory retrieval in IOR by manipulating the contextual similarity between two successive targets in the target-target IOR paradigm. Successive targets were presented in either the same color (same-context condition) or different colors (different-context condition). Results of two experiments showed that IOR was greater in the same-context than the different-context condition. In addition, Experiment 2 showed that this context effect occurs with long response times (RTs), suggesting that memory retrieval, which requires time to manifest, plays an important role in IOR.