The same-different task: implications of redundant attributes on the decision-making process

Rideout, Corey P.J. (2019) The same-different task: implications of redundant attributes on the decision-making process. Memorial University of Newfoundland. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Since its discovery by Bamber (1969), there have been many attempts to explain the fast-same phenomenon. However, no theory has provided an acceptable explanation of its mechanism. In the current study, the redundant attribute of color was added to the stimuli in the Same-Different task, similarly seen in Harding (2018, 2013). Twenty-three undergraduate students from Grenfell Campus (MUN) voluntarily participated in this study. Each trial included the presentation of two sequential stimuli (i.e. strings of letters varying from 1 to 4 characters in length). The colors of the two stimuli were either matching (Red/Red or Blue/Blue) or mismatching (Red/Blue or Blue/Red). Participants were asked to indicate whether the stimuli were the ‘Same’ or ‘Different’ solely based on the identity of the letters in each string (e.g. ‘Same’: J vs. J; and ‘Different’: J vs. B); colors were to be ignored. Graphical analyses indicated that the fast-same phenomenon did occur in the data. A graphical analysis also revealed that the participants’ response times (ms) for mismatching color trials were higher than those of the matching color trials for all ‘Same’ conditions; however, a 42 between-groups ANOVA revealed this difference was not significant (p = .418). Although not significant, the difference between mismatching and matching color conditions could be a result of how hard the decision-making mechanisms had to work; an increase in cognitive load could have led to this increase in response time.

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