The 2:1 slope ratio in mean RT found in conjunction search tasks has been taken as evidence for:

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Question restated: The 2:1 slope ratio in mean RT found in conjunction search tasks has been taken as evidence for:

Option A: A serial exhaustive search
- Why this is not the chosen view here: An exhaustive search would predict that the search time increases with the number of items regardless of when the target is found, and it would typically yield a linear relationship whose slope depends on the set size. However, the classic 2:1 slope ratio specifically in conjunction search is better explained by a serial self-terminating process, not an exhaustive one.

Option B: A serial self-terminating search
- Why this is aligned with the well-known finding: In conjunction search tasks, mean RT often shows a 2:1 ratio between target-present and target-absent trials, which supports a model where observers serially inspect items until the target is found (present) or until all items are checked (absent). The 2:1 slope pattern is a hallmark of a self-terminating search because the absent condition requires a full search while the present condition terminates upon locating the target, producing the characteristic ratio.

Option C: A parallel exhaustive search
- Why this is unlikely: A parallel exhaustive (or parallel self-terminating) model would predict similar processing time for target-present and target-absent trials and often a different slope pattern, not the distinct 2:1 ratio observed. In parallel processing, many items are processed simultaneously, so the timing differences between present and absent conditions don’t match the empirical 2:1 ratio in this context.

Option D: A parallel self-terminating search
- Why this is inconsistent: Parallel self-terminating implies multiple items are processed at once, and the search would terminate when a target is found, but this model generally does not produce the clear 2:1 RT slope difference between present and absent trials that the data show for conjunction searches. The classic interpretation favors a serial approach rather than a genuinely parallel one.

Summary perspective: The critical clue is the differential slope between present and absent trials in conjunction searches, which aligns with a serial, self-terminating mechanism rather than an exhaustive or parallel mechanism. The 2:1 ratio is the diagnostic signature pointing toward the self-terminating serial account over the other alternatives.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 Week 7: Attention: Attention in Space and Time

The 2:1 slope ratio in mean RT found in conjunction search tasks has been taken as evidence for:

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