PRIMING EFFECT IN A COLOR DISCRIMINATION TASK

Two experiments were run to test whether the automatic coding of colors generates priming effects. Subjects were tachistoscopically presented a series of prime-target sequences. The prime stimulus could be either a red, green, or black circular dot, followed by a red or green annular ring (target). The role of automatic and conscious mechanisms was investigated in Exp. 1 by manipulating the predictive validity of the prime stimuli (80%, 50%, 20%), keeping constant the value of stimulusonset asynchrony (350 msec.). Analysis showed priming effects even in the low predictive condition, where no conscious expectations could be activated. In Exp. 2, three different values of stimulus-onset asynchrony were used, 150, 350, and 2100 msec. Priming effects were obtained in the short and medium stimulus-onset asynchrony condition but not in the long one. Over-all, the data of both experiments produce converging evidence which indicates that the automatic elaboration of colored stimuli may produce priming effects.