Individual differences in the verbal coding of familiar visual stimuli

Abstract

Two experiments were performed both of which involved the same-different comparison of pairs of alphabet letters. “Same” reaction times were obtained for both physical matches (e.g., AA) and name matches (e.g., aA). The results of both experiments supported the hypothesis that individual subjects would differ with respect to whether or not they based their physical matches on a comparison of verbal codes. In Experiment I, subjects differed in the size of their reaction time difference between physical and name matches, and in Experiment II, individuals differed with respect to whether or not the frequency of usage of the letters affected their reaction time for physical matches. In both experiments, the individual differences in verbally coding physical matches were related to Hock’s (1973) individual differences distinction between subjects emphasizing analytic processes and subjects emphasizing structural processes.