Abstract
A check detection task in a 5 × 5 section of the chessboard, containing a King and one or two potential checking pieces was employed. The checking status (i.e., the presence or absence of a check) and the number of attackers (one or two) were manipulated. It was found that the reaction time cost for adding a distractor was differentially greater inno trials thanyes trials for novice, but not for expert, chess players. In addition, we contrasted standard check detection trials with trials in which one of two attackers was cued (colored red) and the task was to determine the checking status of the cued attacker while ignoring the other attacker. We documented a Stroop-like interference effect on trials in which a cued nonchecking attacker appeared together with an attacker that was checking (i.e., incongruent). These findings suggest automatic and parallel encoding procedures for chess relations in experts.
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Preparation of this paper was supported by a grant to E.M.R. from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and by NIA Grant 5R01 AG13969 to N.C.
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Reingold, E.M., Charness, N., Schultetus, R.S. et al. Perceptual automaticity in expert chess players: Parallel encoding of chess relations. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 8, 504–510 (2001). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196185
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196185
Keywords
- Stroop Effect
- Congruent Condition
- Check Status
- Skilled Player
- Reaction Time Cost