Ulrich R, Mattes S
General Psychology I, University of Wuppertal, Germany.
Q J Exp Psychol A. 1996 Nov;49(4):972-90. doi: 10.1080/713755672.
Three experiments assessed the hypothesis that immediate arousal enhances response force in speeded reaction-time tasks. Immediate arousal was manipulated via the physical characteristics of a warning signal that closely preceded the imperative response signal. The first experiment revealed that responses were more forceful and faster for a loud than for a soft warning signal. The second experiment manipulated the duration of an auditory warning signal; more forceful but slower responses were obtained for longer durations of the warning signal. The third experiment employed a visual warning signal, and its intensity was either rather weak or moderately bright; more forceful responses and slightly faster responses were observed for the brighter warning signal. Although the results of Experiment 1 and 2 may agree with an arousal account, the findings of Experiment 3 argue against such an account. A stimulus-response compatibility hypothesis is suggested as one possible alternative account.
三项实验对即时唤起增强快速反应时任务中的反应力度这一假设进行了评估。通过紧接在指令反应信号之前的警告信号的物理特征来操控即时唤起。第一个实验表明，与柔和的警告信号相比，响亮的警告信号会使反应更有力且更快。第二个实验操控了听觉警告信号的时长；警告信号时长较长时，会得到更有力但更慢的反应。第三个实验采用了视觉警告信号，其强度要么相当弱，要么适度明亮；对于较亮的警告信号，观察到反应更有力且稍快。虽然实验1和2的结果可能与唤起理论相符，但实验3的结果却与该理论相悖。提出了刺激-反应兼容性假设作为一种可能的替代解释。
