Recombination of Automatic Processing Components: the Effects of Transfer, Reversal, and Conflict Situations

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of compatible and incompatible automatic processes on performance. Subjects were trained for 8400 trials of consistent mapping practice in a semantic category visual search task and then transferred for 2352 trials to conditions that utilized the trained component processes in various ways. Results indicate that if the components were reused in a compatible fashion (target and distractor transfer), there was positive transfer. Target and distractor reversal resulted in equivalent and severe performance disruption that persisted for the entire retraining period. Target conflict produced disruption equivalent to the reversal conditions. Distractor conflict resulted in less initial disruption, which dissipated before the end of the retraining period. The results are discussed in terms of agreement with strength-theoretic views of visual search and in terms of practical training and retraining issues.