Effects of predictable and unpredictable auditory stimuli on selective attention.

6 normal male and 10 normal female high school students completed two versions of the Stroop Color-Word Task in the presence of predictable and unpredictable auditory stimuli. Selective attention was hypothesized to be facilitated by predictable auditory stimuli and unaffected or hindered by unpredictable auditory stimuli. A one-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance showed selective attention was facilitated significantly by the predictable auditory stimuli on a paced version of the Stroop Color-Word Task.