Priming and interference effects can be dissociated in the Stroop task: New evidence in favor of the automaticity of word recognition

Catena, Andrés; Fuentes, Luis J.; Tudela, Pío · 2002 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3758/bf03196265

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Summary

This study investigates the debate over whether word recognition in the Stroop task is automatic or controlled. Previous research by Besner and colleagues suggested that word processing is not automatic, arguing that reducing Stroop interference by coloring only a single letter of a word (rather than the whole word) indicates that subjects can suppress semantic processing via a specific "mental set." The authors challenge this view, proposing that interference effects reflect response competition rather than the absence of word processing. They hypothesize that priming effects, which measure lexical activation, provide a more accurate indicator of automaticity than interference measures. To test this, the authors conducted an experiment with 16 undergraduate participants using a modified Stroop task. Stimuli consisted of Spanish color words and neutral nonwords. Trials were divided into two conditions: "all-letter-colored," where the entire word was displayed in a specific color, and "single-letter-colored," where only one randomly selected letter was colored while the rest remained white. Participants were instructed to identify the color of the stimulus as quickly and accurately as possible. The experimental design incorporated a priming paradigm, analyzing trials based on the relationship between the color word on the previous trial (prime) and the current trial (probe). This allowed for the simultaneous calculation of standard Stroop interference and priming effects (positive or negative) across different prime-probe combinations. The results replicated previous findings regarding interference: significant Stroop interference was observed in the all-letter-colored condition but was eliminated in the single-letter-colored condition. However, the priming analysis revealed a critical dissociation. In the all-letter-colored condition, negative priming occurred, indicating that participants inhibited the processed word from the previous trial. Crucially, in the single-letter-colored condition—where interference was absent—positive priming was observed. This positive priming demonstrated that the distractor words were still semantically processed despite the lack of interference. No priming effects were found for nonwords, confirming that the effects were specific to lexical processing. The authors conclude that Stroop interference and priming tap into different stages of processing. Interference reflects competition for response control, which can be modulated by attentional focus, whereas priming reflects the successful activation of lexical representations. The presence of positive priming in the absence of interference supports the view that word recognition is automatic and cannot be prevented by task instructions. Consequently, the study argues that priming is a superior measure for assessing word processing in the Stroop task and refutes the claim that the elimination of interference implies a lack of semantic processing.

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• dual task performance