stimulus–response compatibility

the extent to which the relationship between stimulus and response facilitates response. Speed and accuracy are affected by this relationship; for instance, a left keypress in response to a stimulus on the left will be quicker and more accurate than a right keypress for a stimulus on the left. This is an example of an element-level compatibility effect, which results from the mapping of individual stimuli to responses within a set. A verbal response to a verbal stimulus is quicker and more accurate than a spatial response to a verbal stimulus. This is an example of a set-level compatibility effect.

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Psychology term of the day

January 13th 2025

discontinuity hypothesis

in Gestalt psychology, the viewpoint that emphasizes the role of sudden insight and perceptual reorganization in successful discrimination learning and problem solving. According to this view, a correct answer is only recognized when its relation to the issue as a whole is discovered. Also called discontinuity theory. Compare continuity hypothesis. See also aha experience; all-or-none learning; eureka task.