In the Posner cueing paradigm, the participant maintains fixation at the central point.Cues indicate whether the target will appear on the left or the right.In most trials, the cue is valid; that is, the target appears on the indicated side.But in some trials, the cue is invalid; that is, the target appears on the opposite side of the cue.The experimenters measure the reaction time to indicate that the target is present.The results show that ______.
A)maintaining fixation reduces reaction time significantly
B)participants are relatively faster when the cue is invalid
C)reaction time increases for valid trials
D)participants are relatively faster when the cue is valid

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The results show that participants are relatively faster when the cue is valid. This is because when the cue is valid, attention is already directed towards the correct location, making it easier and faster to detect the target. Maintaining fixation does not affect reaction time significantly, and there is no evidence that participants are faster when the cue is invalid. Reaction time increases for invalid trials because participants need to disengage attention from the cued location and then shift it to the opposite side in order to detect the target.

In the Posner Cueing Paradigm, the Participant Maintains Fixation at the Central