Abstract
Effect of the similarity in the global and local processing with limited exposure duration. The aim of the present experiment is to analyze, with a limited exposure duration, the effect of physical similarity between target and levels of a hier archical stimulus on the global and local processing. Similarity was manipulated on the basis of the amount of the shared contour. The stimuli were circle and semicircle with a gap of 1/2 or 1/4 of the circumference. The circle was used as target and the similarity with de semicircles was either of 50% or 75%. In the divided attention task, the results showed neither a global nor a local advantage in RT, but the interference was bidirectional and symmetrical. The interference increased as a function of the increase in the deg ree of similarity between target and irrelevant level (target absent). In divided attention task, the same results were found in relation to advantage and interference, but the similarity had a different effect. The interference increased as a function of the decrease in the deg ree of similarity. The results are discussed in terms of a facilitating or inhibiting effect of similarity, depending on the demands of the experimental task.
