When two tasks, Task 1 and Task 2, are conducted in close temporal proximity and a separate speeded response is required for each target (T1 and T2), T2 report performance decreases as a function of its temporal proximity to T1. This so-called psychological refractory period (PRP) effect on T2 processing is largely assumed to reflect interference from T1 response selection on T2 response selection. However, interference on early perceptual processing of T2 has been observed in a modified paradigm, which required changes in visual-spatial attention, sensory modality, task modality, and response modality across targets. The goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility of early perceptual interference by systematically and iteratively removing each of these possible non perceptual confounds, in a series of four experiments. To assess T2 visual memory consolidation success, T2 was presented for a varying duration and immediately masked. T2 report accuracy, which was taken as a measure of perceptual—encoding or consolidation—success, decreased across all experimental control conditions as T1–T2 onset proximity increased. We argue that our results, in light of previous studies, show that central processing of a first target, responsible for the classical PRP effect, also interferes with early perceptual processing of a second target. We end with a discussion of broader implications for psychological refractory period and attentional blink effects.

当任务 1 和任务 2 两个任务在时间上很接近并且需要对每个目标（T1 和 T2）进行单独的快速响应时，T2 报告性能会随着其与 T1 的时间接近度而下降。这种所谓的心理不应期 (PRP) 对 T2 处理的影响在很大程度上被认为反映了 T1 反应选择对 T2 反应选择的干扰。然而，在修改后的范式中观察到对 T2 早期感知处理的干扰，这需要改变视觉空间注意力、感官模式、任务模式和跨目标的反应模式。本研究的目标是通过在一系列四个实验中系统地和迭代地消除这些可能的非感知混淆中的每一个来研究早期感知干扰的可能性。为了评估 T2 视觉记忆巩固成功，T2 呈现不同的持续时间并立即屏蔽。T2 报告准确性被视为感知（编码或巩固）成功的衡量标准，随着 T1-T2 发病接近度的增加，在所有实验控制条件下均下降。我们认为，根据先前的研究，我们的结果表明，导致经典 PRP 效应的第一个目标的中央处理也会干扰第二个目标的早期感知处理。我们最后讨论对心理不应期和注意眨眼效应的更广泛影响。随着 T1-T2 发病接近度的增加，在所有实验控制条件下都下降。我们认为，根据先前的研究，我们的结果表明，导致经典 PRP 效应的第一个目标的中央处理也会干扰第二个目标的早期感知处理。我们最后讨论对心理不应期和注意眨眼效应的更广泛影响。随着 T1-T2 发病接近度的增加，在所有实验控制条件下都下降。我们认为，根据先前的研究，我们的结果表明，导致经典 PRP 效应的第一个目标的中央处理也会干扰第二个目标的早期感知处理。我们最后讨论对心理不应期和注意眨眼效应的更广泛影响。