Differential redundancy gain in onset detection versus offset detection

Abstract

In a visual simple reaction time paradigm with attention divided between the left and right visual fields, redundancy gain refers to the finding of faster responses to stimuli presented in both fields than to single stimuli. The present study investigated whether the effects of low-level perceptual processing affect the redundancy gain by comparing the detection of onsets versus offsets. In different blocks, participants responded to left and right visual field stimuli that either appeared (onset) or disappeared (offset), with a single stimulus change in some trials and two redundant stimulus changes in others. With onset stimuli, the results replicated previous redundancy gain effects. In contrast, there was much less redundancy gain when participants responded to stimulus offsets. This finding suggests that redundancy gain is sensitive to low-level perceptual characteristics, such as onset versus offset presentation of stimuli.