We combined analyses of reaction time (RT) distributions with experimental manipulations of different processing stages (perception, decision, motor execution) in a Simon task to investigate which changes in Simon effects could be explained entirely by fading irrelevant response activation. Consistent with fading activation accounts, the Simon effect on mean RT was usually smaller for conditions with slower responses (Expts. 1-3 but not Expt. 4), and delta plot analyses revealed that it was always smaller for the slower responses within each condition. Critically, however, these analyses also revealed that some experimental manipulations produced upward or downward shifts in the RT delta plots, thus altering the Simon effect on mean RT in ways that could not be explained by fading activation. The results demonstrate the power of combining RT distributional analyses with experimental manipulations to reveal mechanisms contributing to the Simon effect that would not be revealed using only mean RT. We consider alternatives to fading activation accounts of decreasing delta plots and discuss the contribution of different cognitive stages in modulating Simon effects.

中文翻译：

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超越平均反应时间：将分布分析与西蒙任务中的处理阶段操作相结合

我们将反应时间 (RT) 分布的分析与 Simon 任务中不同处理阶段（感知、决策、运动执行）的实验操作相结合，以研究西蒙效应的哪些变化可以完全通过淡化无关的响应激活来解释。与衰落激活帐户一致，对于响应较慢的条件（实验 1-3 但不是实验 4），Simon 对平均 RT 的影响通常较小，并且增量图分析显示，对于每种条件下较慢的响应，它总是较小. 然而，至关重要的是，这些分析还揭示了一些实验操作在 RT delta 图上产生了向上或向下的移动，从而以无法通过衰落激活来解释的方式改变了对平均 RT 的西蒙效应。结果证明了将 RT 分布分析与实验操作相结合的能力，可以揭示仅使用平均 RT 无法揭示的导致西蒙效应的机制。我们考虑了减少 delta 图的衰落激活帐户的替代方案，并讨论了不同认知阶段在调节西蒙效应中的贡献。