15 - The Advantages of Combining the Simultaneous–Sequential Paradigm with Systems Factorial Technology

Abstract

The simultaneous–sequential paradigm and systems factorial technology are both methods for investigating the type of processing underlying a given mental act. They are complementary in the sense that they rely on different behavioral measures and make different assumptions. For this reason they can sometimes be used to support each other with the strengths of one method compensating for the weaknesses of the other and vice versa. In this chapter, we illustrate how this can be achieved by using these two methods to investigate how observers maintain identity–location bindings so that they can keep track of what is where in their visual environment. The fact that both methods independently arrived at the same conclusion, that identity–location bindings can be updated in parallel, provides strong, converging evidence for the veracity of this finding.